Fossil Fighters Champions: Wrath of the Caliosteo King
by Cottonmouth25
Summary: The Caliosteo Cup is underway, but how will Dina win with powerful opponents such as Rockin' Billy - and worse, the BB Brigade - looking for a fight? And what of the mysterious Champion of the previous Caliosteo Cup? Based off of the story of Fossil Fighters: Champions, but with my own twists. Rated T for slight language. (Chapter 19 coming soon: "Zongazonga vs Dina")
1. The Beginning

**All right, time to start my first real fanfic! Before we start, there are some things I must go over.**

**One, this story is based off of the Fossil Fighters: Champions storyline, but with my own peculiar twists.**

**Two, this fanfic was partially inspired by ShayminMarx's "Fossil Fighters: The Champions" story, so a big thanks to you.**

**Finally, I do not own Fossil Fighters - that honor goes to Nintendo and Red Entertainment.**

**Enjoy!**

It was midnight on the Caliosteo Islands. Green Ribular Island's trees swayed gently in the soft breeze that had begun to blow. Cold Ilium Island was as still and silent as the grave. But over barren Cranial Isle, something flashed through the starry sky over the city.

If anyone were on the streets at that time of night, and possessed good enough vision to see what the disturbance was, they would have seen a majestic flying beast soaring at impossible speeds over the island. It rapidly reached the coast, occasionally flapping as if in a panic.

"Hurry!" urged the figure on its back. "We must get away from Cranial City with all speed!" The creature, a Vivosaur called Nycto Ace, was beginning to get annoyed. She was as terrified as her master was, but his constant nagging was growing tiresome.

_I'm going as fast as I can, thank you very much!_ she snapped. The figure instantly grew guilty. "Sorry, friend," he apologized. "I never doubted you."

The young boy, sixteen years old, was named – well, no one knew his name. He went by the name of Cotton, short for Cottonmouth25, which was the Internet name he had given himself. He was unusual for a Fossil Fighter in many ways.

For one, it was odd that the Champion of the Caliosteo Cup would be fleeing from the islands that he had called home for the past week. For another, he had wings.

When he had just been born, he had been kidnapped by a race of alien people called Dinaurians. Although most of the Dinaurians had agreed to live in peace with humans about three years prior, some still wanted to exterminate them and replace them with their own species. This rogue group, led by a warrior named Raptin, stole five human infants, planning to tamper with their DNA and turn them into Dinaurian chicks. If successful, they would do the same to every human on Earth.

However, it was far from successful. Four human children died in the experiment. The other lived, but had acquired pterosaur-like wings and talons. Disgusted with their failure, the rogue Dinaurians put him back on Earth and gave up their dreams of repopulating the planet.

Cotton had grown up a freak in the eyes of his fellow humans. He had never been loved, or even liked, meaning that he had been lonely his entire life. Only when he entered the Caliosteo Cup just a week ago, and won magnificently, was he admired. It had been glorious, and for someone who had never experienced such a thing, it was overwhelming.

However, a meeting with the owner of the fossil park, Joe Wildwest, had become a disaster. Cotton, horrified at what he had learned, fled with the help of his closest friend, Nycto Ace. And now, he had no idea where they were going. He only knew that they were flying away.

Nycto Ace spoke up again. _I'm getting tired,_ she panted, and her wingbeats slowed slightly. _We have to rest._ Cotton nodded silently and scanned the ocean below for any sign of land. After a minute, he found one – BonechipIsland appeared in the distance.

"There!" he called out over the wind. "Just a few kilometers more!" The Vivosaur took one look at the distant speck of land and shuddered. _It's the rumored base of the BareBones Brigade! We can't land!_ she screeched indignantly.

Cotton sighed and responded, "It's our only hope. We can't keep flying – who knows how much farther we'll have to fly in order to find safe land!" Nycto Ace gave him a skeptical look over her shoulder, then dissolved back into a Dino Medal.

Catching the small disk-like object, Cotton beat his wings frantically, eager to make the last of the journey and end their flight away from the Caliosteo Islands. The closer he got, the more he thought about the BB Brigade and how they tried to ruin the Cup.

A sudden inspiration struck him, and he momentarily stopped midflight, hovering and deep in thought. He began to fly again, this time with more purpose. Cotton smiled in anticipation of what he was about to do.

Two members of the BB Brigade stood guard on either side of the entrance to their hideaway. They had been at their post for two hours, and nothing interesting had happened.

"Wouldn't it be great if someone came looking for a fight or something?" asked the first guard. "Then at least we'd get to _do_ something."

His companion nodded agreement. "Yeah," he piled on. "I need some ac- wait! What's that?!"

The pair looked out at the sky and started. Something was flying toward the island! When it landed, they saw that it was a boy – a Fighter, from the look of him – that had wings sprouting from his back. What was this?

No matter. He was an intruder, and intruders needed to be captured for interrogation. Instantly, the two BB guards had each seized one of the newcomer's arms. Surprisingly, he made no move to fight back.

"There's no need to restrain me," he murmured. "I'm not looking for trouble." The BB Brigade members exchanged skeptical looks. "Then you've come to the wrong place, Fighter," the second one wisecracked, and they both laughed.

Then the newcomer said something that immediately shut them up: "I seek Don Boneyard."

**Two Years Ago**

Twelve-year-old Dina looked out over the landscape from her vantage point on the cliffside. She saw nothing but trees for miles around, and the greenery even covered the slopes of the mountains in the distance. She smiled contentedly at the serene view. However, something rudely pulled her out of her thoughts. Or rather, someone.

"HEY!" yelled the green-clothed boy from somewhere behind Dina. She reluctantly turned around to see him waving at her from the base of a slope that wound upward toward the top of the cliff. "Dina! You going to join me or what?" he hollered again.

Sighing, the girl leisurely walked over to him. "You move too slow!" the boy whined. Dina sighed yet again.

"Todd," she began. "I'm not deaf, you know. And I'm not lethargic either." Todd rolled his eyes. "Come ON, Dina! It's not every day you get to see a wild Vivosaur!" At this, Dina thought back to a month ago.

Both Todd and her had learned of the existence of mysterious prehistoric creatures called Vivosaurs, which were the revived forms of ancient beasts such as dinosaurs. When they researched more, they found out that there was an entire sport built around these awesome creatures – Fossil Battling. The two friends had rapidly become huge fans, and hoped to become Fossil Fighters themselves.

That was why they were at the base of this mountain, to find their own Vivosaurs and become champion Fighters. Dina grinned inwardly as she imagined all of the future victories that would be hers.

"Still daydreaming?" Todd smiled and waved a hand in front of her face. "Come on! I'll race you to the top!"

Pausing to consider, Dina suddenly said, "Go!" and began to sprint up the mountainside. "No fair!" yelled Todd, and he tore off after her.

The duo rapidly reached a plateau covered with trees and shrubs. The mountain extended much higher up, but Dina and Todd were exhausted, and stopped here to catch their breath.

"This is… high enough… don't you think?" panted Dina after a few seconds. Todd replied. "…Yeah. I need… to rest." He looked around a moment. "Hey! There aren't any Vivosaurs around!" he exclaimed angrily. "Someone must have lied to me!"

Dina shook her head, causing her orange hair to hit her in the face. "You honestly thought that they'd be walking around in plain sight?" she asked sarcastically. "Come on, if we look carefully, then we can –"

Suddenly, a loud crashing reached their ears. The trees in front of them shook, but not as much as Todd. "Wh-what was that?" he asked, rapidly starting to panic. "Shh!" Dina gestured for him to be quiet. "Whatever it is, it won't find us if we don't make any noise! Now stay here – I'm going to check it out."

Cautiously, Dina approached the bushes. But in a flash of white and green, she went tumbling backwards. Grunting due to the impact with the ground, she shook her head to clear it and instinctively looked up. Staring down at her was a reptilian face with bright, cat-like eyes.

The Vivosaur grinned, showing jaws full of razor-sharp teeth. Flexing its talons, it shrieked at her. Dina screamed and jumped backwards as its claw narrowly missed her.

Todd was already running away frantically, trying to put as much distance as he could between him and the carnivore. Being a slightly faster runner, Dina caught up to him in a heartbeat. They both heard the Vivosaur's frustrated growls as it chased them.

"What dinosaur is that?" Todd gasped to Dina, who knew much more about natural history than he did. "I think… it's a… Velociraptor!" she replied, huffing and puffing for breath. Then all of a sudden, it was in front of them. As one, they turned tail and ran in the other direction. But the Velociraptor was agile enough to block them almost instantly. No matter which direction they ran, it was quick to stop them.

"We're trapped!" Dina yelled. "We're snacks!" Todd squeaked. Feinting with its deadly claws, the predator herded them toward the edge of the cliff. Todd gulped as he felt the back of his feet touch empty air.

With a sudden burst of confidence, Dina shielded Todd from the Velociraptor, steadily coming closer. "WHAT are you doing?" Todd screeched. Before Dina could reply, a similar screech sounded in the distance.

Both of them looked beyond the cliff to see a yellow-and-blue _thing_ streak toward them. Obviously, the sight drove Todd into an even greater state of fear. "Eeek!" he screamed. "We're going to be bird food!"

Dina rolled her eyes despite the situation. "It's a Pteranodon, actually. And – wait. Is there someone on its back?"

Indeed there was. A man wearing an outfit straight out of an old Western film extended a hand from the pterosaur's back. "Jump on, the two of ya!" he called.

Todd was frozen to the spot, but Dina immediately decided to act. Grabbing hold of Todd's hand, she dragged her protesting friend behind her and jumped off the cliff. The man gained a secure hold on her outstretched hand, and the three of them left the Velociraptor, shrieking its frustration, behind them.

Landing safely at the base of the mountain, the man's Pteranodon went back into its Dino Medal – a kind of medallion that allowed Fighters to easily transport their Vivosaurs. Sticking it into his pocket, he was about to say something, but was interrupted by Todd's gasp of surprise.

"OHMIGOSH!" he suddenly cried out. Dina started at the noise and said, annoyed, "What was that for?"

Ignoring her, Todd pointed a shaky finger at the man who had saved them. "Y-you're… Joe Wildwest! The famous Fossil Fighter!"

Joe nodded in acknowledgement. "Yep, that's me. Surprised you know my handle, kid."

"Are you joking?" Todd asked, now really excited. "Your Fossil Battle skills are legendary! You're the greatest Fighter EVER!"

Joe just smiled at him sheepishly, as if embarrassed by the sudden attention. Dina caught his eye and grinned, as if to say _"He's always like this."_

"My name's Dina," she spoke up. "And this is my friend Todd." Todd jumped up and down in an excited frenzy. "Pleased to meet you! Dina and I always cheer for you on TV, Joe! Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm talking to you in person!" Joe looked even more embarrassed, and Dina quickly stepped in before her friend got out of hand.

"Thanks for saving us, ," she said gratefully. "If you and your Pteranodon hadn't appeared when you did –"

"Rawr-RAAAHHH!" came a familiar noise from higher up the mountain. Todd went from overly jubilant to extremely terrified in a heartbeat. "AHH!" he screamed, instinctively hiding behind Joe. "I-it's that V-Velociraptor!" Dina narrowed her eyes, squinting up at the mountain. She saw the shrubs rustling as the Vivosaur came nearer.

"That Velociraptor's madder than a sack of hornets," he remarked. Dina replied rhetorically, "Yeah, I kind of noticed…"

Joe turned to her and Todd. "We ain't got no other choice – we've gotta subdue the critter in a Fossil Battle!"

Joe suddenly looked at Todd. "What ya say, small fry? You up for it?" he asked. Todd simply stared, fear forgotten. "I'll even lend ya one of my Dino Medals. How's that?" Joe added.

Todd and Dina shared a quick glance, then Todd suddenly groaned and clutched his stomach. "OOH, my stomach!" he exclaimed in mock pain. "It must be that rotten banana I had this morning – yeah, that's it."

Dina slapped a hand to her face – Todd had a tendency to do this whenever he chickened out of something… _One of these days, he's going to have to learn that you can't run away from everything,_ she thought privately.

"Hm, fair enough," muttered Joe, who then diverted his attention to Dina. "What about you? Think you can take out that Vivosaur in a Fossil Battle?"

She instantly stepped forward. "Of course I'll do it!" she said, both excited and determined. She caught Todd shooting her an envious look from the corner of her eye.

Joe dug his hands into his pockets and drew from them four Dino Medals. Each were a different color, and each had a picture of a different creature on them. Dina bent over Joe's outstretched hands and examined them while he explained, "There's Aeros, Toba, Tsintao, and Dimetro. They're all reliable types who'll grow quickly and you can depend on when you're in a bind!"

Dina quickly looked them all over. _Hmmm…_she considered. Then she rested her eyes upon Aeros, and something strange happened – she heard a voice in her head. It wasn't clear, but she could tell that it was calling out to her, telling her to choose the green Dino Medal.

"I choose Aeros!" Dina said confidently, picking up the little medallion. She instantly felt something strange; she felt – how should she put it? – a little more complete when she touched it, as if a patch had covered a hole in her heart that she hadn't even realized was there.

Joe, oblivious to all of this, said cheerfully, "Now that's a mighty fine choice, small fry! Just toss it at the V-Raptor when it comes out of them bushes, and yer Vivosaur will be unleashed!"

Right on cue, the foliage in front of them exploded and the Velociraptor, which Joe had called "V-Raptor", streaked out in a white blur, ready to tear into its prey.

"Aeros, let's see what you're made of!" shouted Dina, hurling the Dino Medal in front of her. There was a white flash of light, and when it faded, the medallion was gone. In its place was a massive blue dinosaur with yellow feathers on its head and back – an Aerosteon. _So that's why it's called Aeros,_ Dina realized. _Vivosaurs must be referred to by their names in short form._

Struggling to remember how Fossil Battles were fought from what she had seen on television, Dina was shocked to see V-Raptor rocket straight at Aeros, slashing it with its claw. Aeros roared in pain, staggered, and then steadied itself. "Vivosaurs with a higher Speed level get to attack first," explained Joe from the sidelines. _Oh, OK. Makes sense._ _Now, what attacks can Aeros use?_

Remembering suddenly, Dina commanded, "Aeros, use Wind Blast!" The great blue Vivosaur roared with a fearsome intensity, causing a blast of gale-force wind to come shrieking out of its mouth. It slammed into V-Raptor and knocked it to the ground, but the tough little raptor jumped right back into action.

Dina knew that Aeros couldn't attack again, so she decided to end her turn. Not that the V-Raptor gave her a choice in the matter – it attacked with another claw swipe, but luckily Aeros managed to avoid it. One Wind Blast later, the V-Raptor was again knocked to the ground, and this time it turned back into a Dino Medal.

Aeros gave a roar of triumph, and Dina cheered. She had won her first Fossil Battle! All of a sudden, she heard the voice in her head, this time a little clearer. Somehow, she knew that Aeros had enjoyed battling with her. _Is it the Vivosaur itself speaking to me?_ Dina wasn't exactly sure.

"Nice work, pard!" called Joe, walking over to her now that the fight had ended. "You handled that battle like a pro!" Dina blushed at the praise and looked modestly at her feet.

Of course, it wasn't long before Todd also came rushing to meet her as well. "That was AWESOME!" he exclaimed, but before he could continue, Dina cut him off. "Wait. Wasn't your stomach hurting before?"

Todd paused. "My stomach? Oh yeah… That's weird. It stopped hurting all of a sudden." There was an awkward silence before he said, "Well, who cares about that! Am I right?"

Joe stepped in at this point. "That V-Raptor was abandoned by some cruel fighter. I reckon that's why he had his pants in a twist. Ya see, Vivosaurs need to be with a Fighter they can trust and make friends with – otherwise, they turn feral and their true nature emerges." Dina shuddered, then gasped as she remembered something.

"Mr. Wildwest!" she held out Aeros's Dino Medal. "Oh, I durned near forgot that Dino Medal I loaned ya!" Joe abruptly stopped and seemed to think for a second.

"Tell ya what," he said, stooping down to be on eye level with Dina. "How about you keep Aeros as my thanks for all the help?" Dina was shocked – first Joe saved her and Todd's lives, and now he gave her one of his Vivosaurs?!

"Th-thank you, Mr. Wildwest," she stuttered, staring at Aeros numbly. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it seemed happy to be staying with her. Joe smiled kindly. "Don' mention it, small fry. And call me Joe, will ya?" Dina nodded, an excited grin spreading across her face.

"Aww, man!" said Todd jealously. "How lucky are you, Dina? Too bad my stomach started to hurt…" Dina's grin widened. "Yeah, about that…" she began.

But Joe once again interrupted. "I can tell that the both of ya have potential as Fossil Fighters. Love your Vivosaurs and share their passion for battling, and aim high! But not as high as me… aim even higher than that!"

He winked, then added as an afterthought, "I've got one more rogue Vivosaur to round up, so do ya think you can make it home safely?"

Todd jumped up, clapping his hands. "You bet, now that Dina's got a powerful new friend to take care of us!" Dina heard another voice, this time with a proud feel to it. _It's Aeros. I'm sure of it. But how?_

"Adios, Todd and Dina!" Joe said in farewell, then walked back up the mountain and out of sight. They waved after him.

"Wow, we just got advice from Joe Wildwest himself!" Todd squeaked in excitement. "No choice now, Dina. We HAVE to become Fossil Fighters!" Dina nodded agreement, and looked again at Aeros's Dino Medal. It twinkled merrily in the sun, as if encouraging her. _Together, Aeros, you and I will be unstoppable!_

She could have sworn that the picture on the medallion smiled.

**So that's that! Please review, and wait patiently for Chapter 2, "Into the Caliosteo Islands"! (Did I imitate the V-Raptor's roar accurately?)**

**TRIVIA: I seriously considered making the main character male, but decided on Dina at the last minute.**


	2. Into the Caliosteo Islands

**So, on to Chapter 2! When we last left off, Dina and Todd met Joe Wildwest and forged a dream to become real Fossil Fighters. And now, we continue their story!**

**And what of the mysterious Champion, Cotton, and his Vivosaur, Nycto Ace? What's his story? You'll find out a little more in this chapter…**

**(Yes, he's me. So what if he is? I incorporate myself into ALL of my stories.)**

**Two Years and Three Weeks Later**

"I can't believe it's finally going to happen, Dina! My heart is beating like a jackhammer!"

Dina and Todd were in a blue-and-white helicopter that slowly made its way out over the vast ocean. A logo shaped like a fossil was emblazoned on the side. They were on their way to Joe Wildwest's very own tournament, the Caliosteo Cup!

Dina remembered how they had entered – by fighting their way though a series of preliminary rounds before getting the A-OK to travel to the CaliosteoFossilPark. There had been close to five thousand people there, but only a fraction of that number had been allowed to go on.

Todd had just barely made it with his own Vivosaur, a Stegosaurus, or Stego for short. It had been a close match, but he had managed to scrape through, and had been approved to compete in the Cup.

Dina and Aeros, who had grown very close in the past two years, had torn the competition to pieces, and now she had high hopes of winning the Caliosteo Cup.

Not only that, but Dina had finally been able to understand the voice that sometimes entered her mind – it was indeed Aeros communicating with her. When she asked the staff about this after her winning battle, they had said that it was because of the close bond with her and Aeros. The thought had made her feel warmer inside.

_I don't know if we can really win this,_ worried Aeros from his Dino Medal. He had turned out to be a somewhat negative but loyal type, something that Dina found a little annoying at times. Not this time, though.

"Come on, Aeros," she murmured good-naturedly. "Have a little confidence! We definitely won't win if you keep up that attitude." The Vivosaur simply growled under his breath.

"And think of how lucky we are!" Dina continued. "Remember, we were shocked beyond belief when Joe Wildwest decided to hold a second Cup." This was indeed true – they had missed the original Caliosteo Cup. But, by a sheer miracle, Joe had decided to hold another one! Aeros seemed to grow satisfied with these words.

"Joe would be amazed to see that we've come all this way!" Todd enthused; he hadn't stopped talking since this morning. Right now, he was half-nervously, half-excitedly pacing the small passenger chamber in which they sat.

"Well, he's probably been expecting it," said Dina matter-of-factly. "After all, he's the one who said he saw potential in us when we met all those years ago." She smiled as she reflected on that day, which had gone from ordinary to terrifying to the best day of her entire life.

_Hey, I think the helicopter's slowing down,_ interjected Aeros, cutting into her thoughts. _We must be nearing land._ At this, Dina looked out the viewport and, with a thrill, saw the first of the CaliosteoIslands in the distance. "Todd, we're here!" she cheered.

Todd's response was a whoop of joy and a little victory pose. "Finally! Watch out, FossilPark, 'cause here I come!" Dina laughed at his happiness, which made him blush faintly. Ever since her fourteenth birthday, she'd suspected that Todd liked her a tiny bit.

There was no time to dwell on that now, though. The helicopter roared over the island, revealing it to be a lush, green place with verdant forests everywhere you looked. Another thrill of excitement coursed through Dina as the helicopter prepared to land.

**Ribular Town**

The vehicle landed in a small town – RibularTown - in the middle of the forest. Dina and Todd hopped out and immediately looked around at their surroundings in wonder. As the helicopter took off again, a woman in a uniform walked up to the pair.

"Welcome to CaliosteoFossilPark, a prehistoric world of dreams, dinosaurs, and adventure!" she greeted them cheerfully. "The park is composed of three islands; RibularIsland, Cranial Isle, and IliumIsland. Visitors are welcome to dig up as many fossils as they want – and of course there are plenty of Fossil Battles to be fought!" Dina grinned in anticipation at this comment.

Before the attendant could continue, there was a sudden commotion that seemed to be coming from the large building in the center of RibularTown.

*Beep-beep-boop!* "This is an important public service announcement from CaliosteoFossilPark. Registration for the Caliosteo Cup will be ending soon. Fossil Fighters who have not yet registered should enroll at the Fossil Station immediately." *Beep-beep-boop!*

Todd looked panicked. "Ahh! We haven't registered yet! We need to get to that Fighter Station!"

The attendant spoke up again. "The Fighter Station?" she asked. "It's the largest building in RibularTown, you can't miss it." Dina nodded her thanks and ran to catch up with Todd, who had already dashed off.

Inside, they immediately headed for the counter at the far end of the room. The receptionist smiled slightly at their out-of-breath faces. "I take it that you two want to enter the Caliosteo Cup?" Wordlessly, Dina and Todd handed her their ID cards.

In moments, their faces had popped up on the big screen on the wall behind the counter. Pictures of their Vivosaurs, as well as their names, were there also. "Thank you very much," said the receptionist. "Your qualification through the preliminaries has been confirmed." Both friends let out involuntary sighs of relief.

Not two seconds later, the far door opened and a young woman dressed in blue and yellow had stepped out. "Hey there, Fighters!" she called out in a friendly way. "I'm Stella, one of the three Staff Leaders in the FossilPark." She motioned Dina and Todd over with a wave of her hand.

When the duo had reached her, Stella continued, "I'm here to instruct you on the various facilities we have here in the Fighter Station. …We'll start our tour in the most important place. Follow me!"

**Cleaning Room**

Stella led Dina and Todd into a room whose walls and floor were colored varying shades of green. High-tech machines were all over the place, and Dina couldn't help gawking at all of the complex-looking gear.

"This is the Cleaning Room," lectured Stella. "This is where all of the fossil cleaning and reviving are done! Now, if you will, I'll instruct you how to properly clean a fossil rock…" She gestured for Dina to step to a table covered with buttons and levers.

With Stella's help, Dina was able to use the various controls to clean a 99-point fossil rock. Todd went next, but in his excitement, accidentally damaged his fossil and only got 87 points. But it didn't matter – Stella congratulated him all the same.

"Now, since you both cleaned head fossils, you can revive them!" After a bit of explaining about the different kinds of fossils, Stella gently placed Dina's skull in the Revival Chamber first. Mere seconds after Stella pressed the big red button, there was a flash of light, and the chamber door hissed open with a rush of steam.

Standing there was a dinosaur the size of an elephant, with three horns adorning its beaky face. "A Triceratops!" exclaimed Dina, eyes shining. The Triceratops (or "Tricera" for short) gave her a curious, but not unfriendly, look before turning into a small, blue Dino Medal. Dina picked it up and looked at it in amazement.

"The first Vivosaur I've ever revived by myself," she murmured. _Pleased to meet you too,_ rumbled Tricera.

Todd went next – his Vivosaur was a squat, purple, tank-like beast with red spikes. Stella told him it was called a Gargoyleosaurus, or Goyle. When he had pocketed the resulting Dino Medal, Stella informed them that they'd be getting a Fossil Battle tutorial in the Fossil Stadium shortly.

After a quick trip to the Fossil Stadium to learn about fighting with a team of Vivosaurs – something that Dina and Todd had no experience with – Stella informed them that the Caliosteo Cup's Opening Ceremony would be starting soon.

"Wow, I'm so excited I could puke!" cheered Todd, and Dina slapped a hand to her face in dismay. Stella grimaced and gave the two of them a Paleopager each. According to her, they'd get notices concerning the Cup from time to time on their Paleopagers. "Cool!" Dina commented, examining hers from every angle.

"The Opening Ceremony will be in front of the Fighter Station," stated Stella. "That's my cue. Good luck, the two of you!" And she walked off.

**Ribular Town**

"Hey, look, Dina!" said Todd suddenly, pointing at something on the horizon. "Something's flying this way!" She took one look and gasped, along with the crowd that had gathered in RibularTown.

It was a giant, flying TV screen, with huge loudspeakers positioned underneath the massive screen. Suddenly, Joe Wildwest's face appeared on it, and everyone cheered. Dina and Todd cheered the loudest.

"Welcome to Caliosteo Fossil Park," Joe said loudly and clearly. "A place where dreams are made!" There was more cheering. "I'm the owner of this here park – the name's Joe Wildwest!" Even more cheering.

"You Fighters will love it here," he continued on with a grin. "We've got three islands to explore! But…" his face suddenly turned serious.

"As ya all know, I held a Cup just a few weeks before this one… and it turned into a disaster." Everywhere Dina looked, faces were turning from excited to grim.

"The champion of that particular Cup – a good feller by the name of Cotton – hightailed it out of here for some heck of a bad reason. He might still be out there somewhere… so keep yer eyes peeled just in case!"

Joe became a little less serious. "Enough about that - now, get ready for a surprise…" Dina, as well as Todd, held their breaths.

"'Cause I want y'all to know that the new Cup champion will get my park! You'll own 'er free and clear!" This time the crowd roared. Dina looked at Todd, mouth gaping. "…What?" she saw him mouth in utter shock.

"So let's get to Fossil Battlin', folks," finished Joe, grinning uncontrollably. "The Caliosteo Cup starts now!"

**Treasure Lake**

"Wow! Who knew that Joe would put up the entire FossilPark as a prize!" Todd jumped up and down, unable to sit still.

"One thing's for sure…" Dina smirked in anticipation. "Everyone will be battling at their absolute hardest with such a big reward at stake!"

They had just gotten a message on their Paleopagers, saying that the first dig site, TreasureLake, was open. After grabbing her sonar and pickaxe (as well as Todd's… he had rushed off to TreasureLake without any hesitation), they were now out looking for fossil rocks.

Dina had went in a different direction than Todd, and was now wading through the ankle-deep water. Glancing at her sonar, she saw that there was a fossil right in front of her! Unable to believe her luck at finding one so quickly, Dina swung twice with her pickaxe and unearthed it.

She frowned. _It just looks like an ordinary rock to me. How can I tell what kind of fossil it is?_ Dina started to put it in her fossil case, when a voice called out, "Having trouble?"

Turning, Dina saw a large, bearded man with sunglasses walking toward her. "Let me guess – you don't know what kind of Vivosaur is in that rock?" Dina nodded despite herself – she had never been a fan of talking freely with strangers.

"I can tell you right now, that's a Vivosaur of the Air affiliation. You want to know how I know?"

A quizzical look seemed to convince him. "I'll tell you if you can beat me in a Fossil Battle! Deal?" This time, Dina gave an enthusiastic handshake. "You're on!" she agreed.

"Excellent!" the man sent out two Vivosaurs – Igua and Radox. Dina, of course, sent out her Aeros and Tricera. "We can win this, Aeros!" she shouted. "Tricera, this is our first battle, so give it your all!" Both Vivosaurs looked determined. _You bet!_ growled Aeros. _I'll do my best!_ boomed Tricera.

Dina opened the cover of her Fighter's Watch, which she had gotten just before boarding the helicopter to the park. The screen showed a digital representation of the battlefield, complete with FP counts and each Vivosaur's LP gauge. Right now, she saw that she had the first move.

"Aeros, use Wind Blast on Igua!" The resultant blast smashed into Igua, throwing the green Vivosaur off balance. It righted itself and glared at Aeros, who gave it a similar stare. Dina's turn was over for now, as she had used up her FP.

The man called out an instruction to Radox, who shot forward and headbutted Tricera. It didn't take too much damage, though. He then chose to save his FP for another assault, and it was Dina's turn to attack.

"Tricera, use Running Smash on Igua!" Tricera hit the hadrosaur with the force of a tank, but since the Water-type was at a disadvantage against Igua, and Air-type, it only bruised the enemy.

Igua then used a Fist Jab on Aeros, which hit him in the face and scored a critical hit. Aeros had taken major damage, and now his Parting Blow ability activated, increasing his strength. Another Wind Blast instantly KOed Igua, who retreated into its Dino Medal.

"I'm not through yet! Radox, use Radox Headbutt!" The trilobite complied, slamming its hard head against Aeros's. Aeros roared, then dissolved into his Dino Medal with a flash of light. _I'm sorry, Dina. I couldn't make it,_ came his voice, with a sad tinge to it.

"That's alright, Aeros – you can't win them all," Dina said with equal sadness. Picking up his Dino Medal, she commanded Tricera to use Running Smash. Radox automatically tried to defend itself with another Radox Headbutt, but in vain – their heads collided, and Radox was sent flying. It landed as a Dino Medal. Dina had won the battle.

"Darn you, Radox!" the man scolded. "You can't win a single battle, can you?" Even though it wasn't Dina's Vivosaur, she could feel Radox's shame.

"Sorry about that," the man said to Dina. "I was just frustrated. Anyway, that was a nice battle you gave me! I wouldn't be surprised if you passed Round 1 with ease!" She blushed a little and looked at her shoes in embarrassment.

After another minute of talking, the man revealed his secret – how to tell which affiliation a fossil rock belonged to. Dina took one glance at the rock she had dug up earlier and could tell that it was an Air-type.

"Thanks!" she said cheerfully. "No prob," the man replied. "One more thing – I've been trying to raise Radox, but no luck so far. It just can't seem to win any battles no matter how much we train. D'you think that you can take Radox and see if you can unlock his potential?"

Dina was shocked at the favor, but not so much that she didn't accept. Radox's Dino Medal was handed to her and a second later, the man was gone.

**Cleaning Room**

"This is an Aeros (body) fossil rock – BOOP," said KL-33N, the cleaning robot that Dina was now working with. "Commence integration!" When Aeros stepped out of the revival chamber a moment later, he looked especially powerful.

"Thanks, KL-33N!" said Dina gratefully. "Where would I be without you?" The droid spun around happily. "Your words are encouraging – FZZZTT!" KL-33N answered happily. "I try my hardest to assist you, Dina – WHEET!" Chuckling, Dina left the Cleaning Room.

Not only had she upgraded Aeros with a body integration, but Tricera as well. Dina had asked KL-33N if it were possible to find additional parts for Radox too, but he replied in the negative. He said that Vivosaurs such as Radox could only be revived from a single fossil, and could not be integrated. Now Dina understood why the man had been so frustrated with raising Radox.

Since Round 1 was still a ways off (she had checked with a member of the staff), Dina decided to do a little more searching around TreasureLake. When she arrived, something unexpected was waiting for her – there was a huge crowd up ahead. Todd spotted her and ran over, full of excitement as usual.

"Dina! Dina!" he yelled. "Guess who's entered in the Cup – Rupert! Yep, THE Rupert!" She gave him a confused look, and he pulled her arm, dragging her over to the crowd. _That name sounds familiar,_ Dina thought to herself. _Where have I heard it before?_

Rupert turned out to be a boy about her age, with silvery hair and cold yellow eyes. He was wearing an expensive red outfit and seemed to have an air of arrogance about him. From the camera crew's interview, she suddenly remembered – Rupert was a prodigy amongst Fossil Fighters, with a winning streak spanning multiple tournaments. Not to mention that he was the heir to a huge company that made various goods for Fighters, and extremely rich.

After the crowd dissipated, Todd turned to Dina, a glitter in his eye. "I know they said not to bother him or anything," he exclaimed, "but they didn't say anything about challenging him to a Fossil Battle!" Dina groaned and buried her face in her hands.

"If you want to cook your own O-Raptor, be my guest," she said. "I'm not going to stop you." Todd gave her a withering glance, which, with Todd being Todd, didn't last long. "Wish me luck!" he shouted over his shoulder as he ran off to find Rupert.

"You're going to need it…" muttered Dina under her breath. "If anyone else has gotten Todd's bright idea, I almost feel sorry for Rupert…"

Eventually, she came across Todd talking to Rupert while looking for new fossils. Walking up beside her friend, she was just in time to hear Rupert's reply.

"…don't have time to waste on the likes of you," he was saying in a voice heavy with disdain. "Such disgusting treacle is enough to make my porridge come up! I abhor having to associate with people such as yourself, so run along and take your sad Vivosaurs with you."

Unconsciously, a growl escaped Dina's mouth and her fists clenched. Rupert glanced her way and his nose wrinkled. This behavior was enough to annoy Todd (something that was ordinarily nearly impossible to do).

"You have no idea how talented I am!" cried Todd, stepping forward. "I think that you're just acting chicken!" He began a string of embarrassing clucking noises that made Dina forget her anger and groan.

Reluctantly, Rupert decided to accept Todd's challenge… and Todd lost spectacularly. After the battle, Todd looked as if he had witnessed something completely shocking. "I lost… I lost a LOT," was all he said.

"Are you even paying attention to the elemental type of your Vivosaurs?" Rupert demanded, to which Todd replied with a questioning look.

Sighing, Rupert explained, and with every word, Dina hated him even more. He finished with, "Not that any of this matters. I still would have crushed you in the end."

Dina's eyes blazed, and she stepped forward, hand already reaching for her Dino Medals. _I don't think…_Aeros began, but Dina completely ignored him.

"Must I truly battle every slack-jawed yokel that slinks into view?" Rupert sneered at her, and she actually had to hold herself back in order to prevent her instincts from getting the better of her.

But Rupert saw the murderous look in her eye, and became just a little bit frightened. "G-good day to you, madam!" he stuttered slightly, then walked off as quickly as he could.

"AAARRRGGGH!" screamed Todd at the top of his voice. "I've lost before, but I've NEVER been this angry about it!" He whirled around and Dina braced herself lest he take his rage out on the nearest person – her.

"Dina! We're going to win our way through the Cup together, and show that Rupert jerk what's what!" With a sigh of relief, Dina grinned, "Now you're talkin'!"

A loud beeping noise rang out from nowhere, and they both jumped. "It's my Paleopager!" Todd noted, taking out the device.

"_Round 1 of the Caliosteo Cup will now begin. Todd's opponent will be Dina. Prepare yourselves before checking in at Ribular Town's Fossil Stadium._"

Todd stamped his foot, frustrated. "Stupid computer – I was hoping to face you in the finals!" Dina put an encouraging hand on his shoulder and said, "There's nothing we can do about it, you know." Looking at her, Todd blushed and extracted himself from her grasp.

"W-well, you're right, I g-guess," Todd stuttered nervously. "From here until our Round 1 match, I'm going t-to think of you as a r-rival!" He tore off toward RibularTown, leaving Dina behind. "Boys…" she muttered.

**To be continued! In the next chapter, "Round One Battle", we see Dina vs Todd in the Caliosteo Cup! Please review, and stay tuned!**

**TRIVIA: Why does Todd like Dina? Because the idea of a Todd-Dina-Rupert love triangle was too delicious to pass up.**


	3. Round One Battle!

**It's been a while since Chapter 2, but I'm trying to get these chapters finished as quickly as I can. It isn't easy…**

**And now, to the action!**

Dina checked in at the Fighter Station, ready for her Round 1 battle. The receptionist told her to wait in the Common Room until her name was called.

There she sat, twiddling her thumbs and watching the ongoing Fossil Battles on the TV screen on the far wall. There were an impressive variety of Vivosaurs to watch in action, and she studied each one's fighting style.

_Any one of these Fighters could end up my Round 2 opponent,_ Dina thought grimly. _I need to learn what I can for later._ Aeros, Tricera, and Radox all agreed with her.

Radox seemed nervous about going into battle with her. _What if I lose?_ he worried. _I don't think I can stand to do so yet again._ Dina smiled to herself and clutched Radox's Dino Medal in her pocket.

"You'll do fine, Radox. Just do your best, and I won't think any less of you if you do get knocked out." The little Vivosaur seemed to calm down a little.

Finally, the announcer called her and Todd into the Fossil Stadium. In an instant, he was beside her.

"You'd better not go easy on me just because we're friends," he warned. "I mean it! No hard feelings, no matter who comes out on top." Dina's only response was a determined nod and a steely look in her eyes.

"Now let's do this thing!" Todd said in a raised voice, then walked with her into the Fossil Stadium.

Dina had to adjust her eyes to the sudden light. She saw tons of cheering people, Fighters and fans alike. There was an immense viewscreen perched above a box, in which several people sat. Dina recognized Stella and of course, Joe Wildwest himself.

"_Good day, and welcome to the next Round 1 match of the Caliosteo Cup!_" shouted one of the announcers, a little Vivosaur named Ty Ranno. "_This time, it'll be a heated battle between two good friends, Todd and Dina._"

The other announcer, a yellow Tricera named Trip, almost instantly responded. "_That's a cruel twist of fate right there, Ty! But there's nothing we can do but watch and see how they fight!_"

Now at opposite ends of the battlefield, Dina and Todd simultaneously released their Vivosaurs – Todd sent out his Stego and Goyle, and Dina made her decision on the spot. She decided to leave Tricera out of it, since he had a type disadvantage against both enemy Vivosaurs. Instead, Aeros and Radox were released.

"_Whoa, how did Dina get her hands on a Radox?!_" yelled Trip in a frenzy of excitement. _"I don't know, Trip, but now it's on to the battle!_" Ty replied. Dina's Fighter's Watch, as well as the massive viewscreen, revealed that Dina would be going first.

"Radox, hit Goyle with Radox Headbutt!" With all the power he could muster, Radox charged full force at the spiked tank. Landing a critical hit, the impact with his shelled head made Goyle grunt and slide backwards. Dina ended her turn early.

Todd smirked and yelled, "Stego! Spike Tail on Aeros!" The deadly tail whipped toward him, catching him in the flank. Aeros simply winced, then glared defiantly at Stego, who looked shocked that its powerful tail hadn't done much damage.

Dina told Aeros to get Goyle with a Wind Blast, and Goyle was left with a sliver of health. One more Radox Headbutt knocked it out. The little trilobite looked immensely proud of himself. _Take that, you great purple brute!_ he shrieked across the field.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Todd commanded Stego to use Spike Tail on Radox. _Good-bye, pest,_ growled Stego, and Radox's eyes widened. One second later, Stego's tail skewered him, and he reverted into a Dino Medal.

"Maybe next time, buddy," murmured Dina, eyes sparking with anger. She got even more angry when she heard the announcer Ty's reaction; "_And a powerful hit from Stego instantly KOs Radox! What a payback for the loss of Goyle!_"

Now it was Dina's turn to smirk as she saw her FP climb. It was time to try Aeros's newest attack – courtesy of the fossil she had integrated earlier. "Aeros, finish Stego with Aeros Alert!"

A predator's grin crept across Aeros's fearsome face. Leaping across the field in a single bound, Aeros growled threateningly at the wide-eyed herbivore. Then, he smacked Stego with a powerful tail whip, sending him flying across the field.

Aeros wasn't finished yet – another great leap sent him flying once again at Stego. As the green Vivosaur tried to stand up, Aeros gave him a massive bite to the neck. There was a satisfying crunch, and Stego glowed white and retreated into his Dino Medal.

The crowd cheered as Aeros let loose with a triumphant roar that shook the stadium. From their box, Joe and Stella rose onto their feet and clapped enthusiastically, while a comment from Trip blazed through the din; "_And it's a one-hit victory for Dina! That's impressive stuff that I hope to see in the second round!_"

Dina couldn't help grinning as Aeros stomped up beside her and roared again. She had made it through the first round with flying colors!

**Ribular Town**

Dina and Todd were excitedly chatting in the main lobby of the Fighter Station when Stella suddenly appeared beside them.

"Congratulations," she told Dina. "You're on to the second round! But hold your head high, Todd." She suddenly shifted her attention to him. "That was a fine effort. You put on a great show!"

Once again, Stella shifted her attention. "Anyway, Dina, this is for you. Think of it as a little prize for clearing your first round." She handed her a small package with a label.

Dina frowned as she read it. "A Time Plus Prize Pack? What could this be for?"

Stella smiled. "Some fossil rocks are more difficult to clean than others," she explained. "With a Time Plus, you can give yourself more time to clean those particularly stubborn ones." Dina nodded, understanding now, then pocketed the package.

There was another shock coming – Stella took Dina's ID card, which held all of her Fossil Fighter information, and stamped it with a "2" symbol. "When you complete tasks such as rounds in the Cup, or simply accomplish impressive things, you'll gain a Fighter Level. The higher your Level is, the more FP you can recharge every turn." Now Dina's eyes were shining.

"Lucky," commented Todd idly, taking a peek at her ID card. Stella left, tossing over her shoulder, "Good luck with Round 2, Dina!"

Todd was silent for one second, then spoke again. "You know, I don't feel all that bad about losing. I mean, I'm disappointed and all… but I got to fight you in a Fossil Battle, and it was fun!" He laughed delightedly, and Dina joined in, reeled in by his enthusiasm.

"… I do not know what to make of the two of you." Dina and Todd whirled at the voice. It was Rupert. "You just faced each other in battle, yet now you laugh about it. You are satisfied with defeat then? It doesn't gnaw at your soul incessantly?"

Dina clenched her teeth and balled her fists. "If you don't like the way we treat Fossil Battles, rich boy, then leave," she growled.

"You don't get it. We just shared an awesome battle with each other!" said Todd, as if that settled the matter.

Rupert said nothing for a few moments. Then he said simply, "You are… a very strange person." He looked away from him and eyed Dina curiously.

"I'll thank you not to insult my friend," Dina hissed. "Now for the second time, leave, or I'll do something I've wanted to do since we first met." She held up a fist in case he didn't get the point.

The boy took a step back, and his cheeks paled slightly. "Yes, well, excuse me," he said in a voice that was obviously meant to cover up his slight fear. "Unlike you, I have important things to do with my time." And he left the Fighter Station just like that.

"What is with that guy?" Dina muttered, lowering her fist. "It's not like we asked for his opinion – or like we even cared."

Todd suddenly grabbed her arm, forcing her to look at him. "Alright, Dina! I'm going to cheer you on like I've never cheered before!" he suddenly noticed that he was staring right into Dina's face and flushed bright pink. _To be honest,_ Dina thought privately, _I was waiting for him to get that reaction._ Aeros snickered from his Dino Medal.

"Anyway…" Todd picked up where he had left off, regaining some of his composure. "You absolutely, positively have to make that arrogant moron eat his words!"

Dina grinned mirthlessly. "You don't have to tell me – I'm going to beat him so badly that his children will feel the bruises." Then she added with a laugh, "Like he'll even have children – who'd want to marry such a jerk?" Todd howled at that.

He suddenly looked at his watch. "Holy crow! Look at the time, it's almost 9:00!" Dina glanced at the clock on the far wall – yes, it was indeed getting late.

"I think I heard that RibularIsland has a campground somewhere nearby," she told him. "That way, the Fighters will have somewhere to sleep in between matches."

Todd yawned. "Come on then! We need to be well rested for… for…" He suddenly nodded off just like that, hitting the floor with a thud.

Dina shook her head exasperatedly, then picked up the snoring Todd. _Is he always like this?_ asked Tricera. "Pretty much," muttered Dina. She then carried him out of the lobby and headed for where the campground was.

**Campsite**

Waking up to the sound of songbirds outside, Dina sleepily rose from her sleeping bag. Yawning widely, she quickly got dressed, grabbed her equipment and Dino Medals, and went outside.

The campground was huge, in order to accommodate the great number of Fighters here for the Caliosteo Cup. The tents were arranged in groups of four, each group forming a circle around a large fire pit. Dina already knew that Todd was in her group, along with that pompous loser, Rupert, and someone else she didn't know.

Stretching and working out the kinks in her joints, Dina suddenly caught sight of Rupert emerging from his own tent. Their eyes met, and Dina narrowed hers until they were mere slits. He beat a hasty retreat. _I wonder why he's so scared of me now,_ wondered Dina. _I doubt he would give a damn if Todd threatened him, for example…_

"Heeeyyyy!" shouted a familiar voice. She twisted her head sideways to see Todd rushing toward her from the corner of her eye.

"Morning, sleepyhead," she grinned. "Don't rush out of bed – you might fall asleep again."

Todd rolled his eyes. "Ha ha, Dina. Hey, did you get the notice on your Paleopager? The Jungle Labyrinth is open to Round 2 contestants, and that's not all! ANYone can go there, even me!"

Rubbing her eye, which had started to itch, Dina said, "Great, Todd! You want to get breakfast, then go out digging?" Todd did a victory pose. "I thought you'd never ask! Let's go!"

After a quick stop at the Fossil Guild for a few pieces of toast, the two were on their way – until Todd stopped and stamped his foot. "Darn it!" he exclaimed, frustrated. "I forgot to clean all the fossils I dug up before Round 1, and my Fossil Case is still full!"

Dina smiled kindly. "That's fine, Todd. I'll go on ahead, and you can catch up when you're done cleaning. OK?" Todd nodded, then rushed off in a green blur.

After asking a member of the Staff for directions to the Jungle Labyrinth, Dina was ready and raring to go for some fossil digging. Late morning found her whistling happily in the humid forest, occasionally checking her sonar for a fossil rock.

So far, today had been very successful for Dina. She had found a total of five fossil rocks – an Air-type, two Neutral-types, and two Earth-types. She wiped the sweat from her brow and looked at the sky. By the position of the sun, she saw that it was almost noon.

"I guess I'll head back to RibularTown to grab some lunch," she said cheerfully to herself. "I wonder if Todd's still cleaning – I mean, it shouldn't take all morning to clean a few rocks, should it?"

She was heading back out of the jungle, on her way to RibularTown, when she got a shock. In the clearing up ahead, she could see that someone had collapsed on the ground!

Rushing over to the man, she shook him slightly. "Are you all right?!" she asked, almost panicked. His eyelids fluttered, then opened.

"Oh, hello there, young lass," he greeted her in a weary voice with a thick British accent. "Sorry to bother you, but I am in a bit of a pickle." He smiled kindly, as if there was no trouble at all. Dina suspected that there was something wrong with his sanity.

"Hunger gnaws at my belly, you see," he continued, and his stomach rumbled loudly in response. "And I fear that the only cure is a delectable melon spud."

Dina's face must have shown her confusion, so the man explained. "Melon spuds are sweet subterranean fruits that grow deep in the ground. My nose smells one nearby, but it is a tricky beastie. Where could it be hiding?" He moaned as his belly growled even louder.

"I say, I sense a melon spud buried right near this spot… But I am far too weak to find it… Be a good egg and find it for me please, otherwise I fear the end is nigh…" The man didn't say anything more after that.

Shrugging her shoulders, Dina went to look for this "melon spud". Although she could see that the man was clearly crazy, she didn't want to leave him there in case he wasn't exaggerating and he actually starved.

Out of the corner of her eye, Dina saw a vibrant, sprout-like plant waving merrily in the wind. Curious, she quickly grabbed her pickaxe and dug up the plant. The root was spherical and large, and smelled very sweet. _Is this it?_ she asked herself. _The melon spud?_

Walking back over to the man, she head him mutter, "My vision grows dim… I hear angels. Goodness, I think this is the end for me!" Dina sighed and said under her breath, "Drama queen…" before kneeling down and placing the melon spud beside him.

He involuntarily took a sniff as the spud's aroma reached him. His eyes popped open and instantly fixed upon the fruit in front of him. "By my knickers, it's a melon spud!" he exclaimed, and immediately crammed it into his mouth ravenously. When he swallowed, he hopped up onto his feet.

"Well done, old bean!" he said, full of energy. "That melon spud has given me an injection of youthful vim and vigor!" The man then gave Dina the once-over.

"You went into a lot of trouble to dig up that melon spud for me, yes?" Dina nodded, unsure of what to say. Then the man laughed heartily. "In that case, I'd humbly request the pleasure of your name."

Dina wondered, as with all strangers, if this man could be trusted. _I have a good feeling about him, Dina,_ piped in Aeros. _It wouldn't hurt to introduce yourself._ Nodding silently, she replied to the man, "I'm Dina. Pleased to meet you."

"Well then, Dina, it appears that I am in your debt," the man said, shaking her hand warmly. "I am Professor Nigel Scatterly, man of science and curator of the Caliosteo Musuem on Cranial Isle."

Laughing again, he continued, "I'd come here in search of the Calio Slablets, but managed to get hopelessly lost. …Also, I forgot my lunch when I left this morning, so it's quite good that you came along!"

Dina privately thought skeptically, _I'll bet._ But instead of saying this, she expressed her curiosity. "What are Calio Slablets?" she asked, confused.

"Excellent!" the Professor boomed, loudly enough to make Dina jump. "There's little I enjoy more than discussing the wonders of science, after all!"

Dina calmed down, and Professor Scatterly began to explain:

"Calio Slablets, you see, are a curious set of tablets hewn from dinosaur bones. I discovered one of these tablets a fair while back and found it contained a history of these islands. This tablet claimed that the long-lost Kingdom of Caliosteo actually existed on this very spot. Can you imagine?!"

The idea was mind-boggling to Dina. _Kingdom of Caliosteo?_ she thought, amazed. _That's awesome!_

The Professor continued on; "I also determined that the kingdom was led by a mighty ruler named Zongazonga. Now, it seems that this fellow was some manner of sorcerer that wielded spells of great power. He could even resurrect dinosaurs from fossils – such a thing means that they were reviving Vivosaurs even in ancient times!"

Dina, who just a few seconds ago was thinking that Professor Scatterly was the craziest guy on Earth, was now completely enamored. History, and natural history especially, had always been her favorite topic, and now she was hearing about a long-lost kingdom and its wizardly king!

"Naturally, I burned to know more about these ancient people… but I only had the first Slablet in my possession." The Professor sighed regretfully. "But now -" his eyes twinkled "- I have successfully located another Slablet with a special sonar that I built. It is right near this very spot!" He went to grab something, but then realized something.

"Oh, sod! I must have left my shovel behind!" Dina slapped a hand to her face in exasperation. "Here," she sighed. "I'll dig it up for you."

Professor Scatterly looked delighted. "Will you? Then do it! Do it for science!" He lent her his sonar, which he called the "CS Sonar", so she could find the ancient artifact.

After roaming around a bit, Dina found the spot where the Slablet was buried. With two swings of her pickaxe, she had unearthed it. Reaching into the hole, she pulled out a dirty object that, indeed, looked a lot like a dinosaur bone.

"Good heavens!" cried Professor Scatterly. "It IS a Calio Slablet! And, look here, it is marked with the number three!" Dina took a closer look at the bone and indeed saw a symbol that looked a lot like a "3".

She handed both the CS Sonar and the Slablet to the Professor, who fussed over it. "I suppose the prudent thing to do would be to set this one aside until I locate the second one…" he muttered. "Well, posh to that! My scientific curiosity will not be contained!"

Dina had been secretly hoping for this – she couldn't wait to find out what it said, either. "Read it, Mr. Scatterly!" she urged, eyes shining in anticipation.

Professor Scatterly, smiled fondly at her excitement, as if she were his dedicated pupil. Then he turned his attention to the carved bone and said, "… Ahem! Now let's see… Ah, yes, here we are.

"_Once every several decades, Zongazonga compelled his people to hold a tournament. Participants in the tournament were given revived dinosaurs and made to command them in battle. These brave warriors traveled to and fro across the islands, waging battles of gargantuan ferocity. The tournament's sole reason for being was to choose a new Majestic Vessel. And when only one warrior was left standing, he or she was to become the new Majestic Vessel_."

Dina spoke up when he had finished reading. "A tournament where dinosaurs are made to fight across three islands? Sounds a lot like our own Caliosteo Cup!"

The Professor nodded several times. "Yes indeed, old bean! … However, I am at a loss to explain the meaning of this 'Majestic Vessel'."

He looked thoughtful, then continued hesitantly, "… Perhaps it simply means one who had qualities of leadership that befit a king? … Mmm, yes, quite."

Dina spoke up again. "You mean that it's a title? … That sounds about right." The two puzzled it out to themselves for a few minutes, then Professor Scatterly coughed once.

"Well, I suppose the mystery will have to wait, yes? I will make for Cranial Isle with the new Slablet posthaste."

Professor Scatterly pocketed his Sonar and the Slablet and turned to leave. "You've been of remarkable assistance, Dina. If you ever find yourself upon the shores of Cranial Isle, you must stop by my museum!"

Dina nodded and grinned, "Certainly! I'd be delighted!" This made Professor Scatterly beam at her. "Safe travels, then!" he said. "Tallyho!" And he made his way deeper into the jungle.

_I wonder if he knows that he's going deeper into the Labyrinth,_ Dina thought concernedly. _Well, I'm sure that he'll find his way out._ Aeros responded with a negative, _I doubt it._ Dina sighed.

"Come on, let's go get these fossils cleaned," she said out loud to her Vivosaurs. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and Radox appeared in front of her.

_Can I come with you?_ he asked timidly. "Of course!" Dina said, picking the little Vivosaur up. "After all, who says Vivosaurs need to stay cooped up in their Dino Medals, huh?" Then with that, the two of them set out for RibularTown together.

**Jungle Labyrinth**

Dina was in a particularly good mood when she and Radox entered the jungle again. In addition to having a good lunch, she had revived two of her fossils into awesome Vivosaurs – Krypto, a Neutral-type, and Nigo, an Earth-type.

The last rock had been a body fossil for a Vivosaur called Coatlus. KL-33N told her that he would keep that fossil in storage until she found the head, then he would integrate it for her.

That was part of the reason she was here – to find Coatlus's head fossil. As Radox scuttled beside her, enjoying the fresh air, she stared at her sonar, waiting for a blip to come up.

"Heeeyyy!" yelled someone from behind her. Dina turned and saw Todd running after her. "Sorry I'm so late – one member of the staff offered to let me practice cleaning fossils before I took a stab at the ones I collected…"

Dina interrupted him. "That's OK. Hey, since we're both here, d'you want to go digging together?" Todd responded with such enthusiasm that Radox snickered at it.

"Know what? If we go deeper into the jungle, there'll be tons of cool fossil rocks!" he said excitedly. "Yeah, that's why I'm here!" replied Dina, laughing. "Come on!"

The two friends had hardly taken two steps when they heard a scream. Two Fighters came running out from the bushes like their pants were on fire. "Wh-what's wrong?" Todd asked nervously.

The Fighters stopped running and looked at them, eyes wide with fear. "B-b-back there! In the b-back! It's a horrible monster!"

**Ooh, the suspense! Anyway, please review, and watch out for the next chapter: "The Monster Maniacs"!**

**TRIVIA: Dina's interest in the Calio Slablets reflects my interest in them.**


	4. The Monster Maniacs

**Sigh… I hardly have any time to write this.**

**I'm extremely busy – I'm writing several fanfics at once. I've got a Monster Hunter one, this Fossil Fighters one here, a Pokemon one that I might start uploading soon, and I just recently started a How to Train Your Dragon one.**

**Yep. Wait patiently.**

**Anyhow, back to the story – the terrifying monster in the Jungle Labyrinth! **

_A monster in the Jungle Labyrinth?_ thought Dina, freaked out. Todd looked like he was about to run off any second out of pure terror.

"It was chasing us like it wanted to eat us whole!" said the one in the red outfit, Cary. "…Or maybe it wanted to chew us first. Anyway, that isn't something I'm particularly interested in!"

Howard, Cary's blue-suited companion, spoke up in a voice filled with worry. "What if it decides to chase us? What if it comes HERE?!" At this, the two continued to run.

Dina looked skeptical, but Todd had an expression of even greater fear on his face. "M-monster?" he asked. "Heh heh… There's no such things as monsters, right? They must have been mistaken!"

A voice suddenly rang out into earshot. "Now see here, kids, but I gotta disagree." Dina and Todd simultaneously turned to see a man with a ridiculous hairstyle and overcoat strutting towards them.

"Way I hear it, we've got a big ol' monster roamin' this here jungle," he continued on casually. "He's got a mean ol' face, and a temper to match. If he happens to find the two of you, he'll bite your little heads clean off!"

Todd started shaking in his boots. Dina still looked skeptical. The man looked at each of them in turn and finished, "I'd avoid goin' any deeper into this ol' jungle unless you wanna get hurt, unh-hunh? Fossil rocks don't mean nothin' if some monster gets to chewin' on you." With that, the man left.

"Umm, Dina?" Todd began, and Dina rolled her eyes – she knew what was coming. "Maybe we should stop here for today and take a little break, you know? And not because I'm scared – my vivosaurs could stomp that monster like a pancake! But there's lots of good rocks to be found right here!"

All of this was said very rapidly. Dina shook her head. "I'm going on," she told him. "If there's really a monster, which I highly doubt, I'm going to find it."

Sweat broke out on Todd's brow. "Yeah, well, all right. I'll g-go with you. B-but it's j-just that…" Todd suddenly clutched his stomach and moaned. "Oooooh! Oh, my stomach's killing me! I shouldn't have eaten that green tuna-fish sandwich for lunch…"

Dina sighed. "Todd, you have NO common sense, do you?" Todd turned bright red at this sarcastic remark. Sighing again, Dina said over her shoulder, "See you later, Todd," and stalked deeper into the Jungle Labyrinth.

**Ten Minutes Later**

_I wonder if you hurt Todd's feelings,_ murmured Radox, still creeping along beside her. "I hope not…" said Dina quietly. "But he has to get some courage! Eventually, he's going to find something he can't run away from!"

_Don't be so hard on him,_ piped up Aeros. _It's not his fault he's not as brave as you._ Dina shook her head. "Don't you start," she muttered irritably.

Radox stiffened suddenly. _I hear something!_ he whispered. _Whatever it is, it's in those bushes over there!_ He pointed to the shrubs just ahead.

Inconveniently, Todd chose that moment to appear out of nowhere. "Heeeey, Dina!" he cried. "Bet you were pretty lonely without me, huh?"

Dina rolled her eyes again – this was becoming somewhat of a habit. "Todd, don't be ridiculous. And if you're flirting with me –"

Todd looked indignant, but he turned a faint red. "Of course not! I just came to say that we should stop here. Not because I'm scared – because I'm not scared at ALL – but because we've gone a long way, and I'm tired from all this walking and digging."

Dina turned away, prepared to go on. "Then take a rest," she said impatiently. "I'm still going on ahead. Just let me inspect what's rustling in those bushes." Right on cue, the foliage shook again.

"What's that?! Who's there?!" Todd yelled, shaking nervously. "…Just the wind! Yeah, that's it… or a wild boar. That would be OK, too."

Dina snapped her focus back to the bushes – she had just seen a vivid pink thing dart behind them. Radox hissed threateningly and shivered his tail. _Show yourself!_ he demanded, and Dina repeated his words in case the unknown creature didn't understand him.

Suddenly, a tall, pathetically skinny girl jumped out of the bushes. She had two massive pigtails colored bright pink and yellow, and wore a mask that looked like it belonged on a Chinese Dragon. Needless to say, Todd nearly jumped out of his pants.

"EEEEEK!" he shrieked, then tore off through the jungle. "M-m-moooonster!" It had happened so fast that Dina couldn't even react.

"Did he just call me a monster?" asked the mystery girl, sounding like she had been personally offended. "'Cause that's kind of insulting. If you didn't notice, I happen to be in-CRED-ibly charming and beautiful."

Dina started to laugh. "Riiiiight," she snorted. "Then why are you hiding behind that mask?"

The girl's cheeks turned as pink as her hair – or at least, Dina thought they did. "Look," she said. "There's a very good reason I can't take this mask off. But trust me – I'm totally beautiful beneath it. People faint when I walk by, I'm serious."

_…OK, she's clearly insane,_ thought Dina. "Who are you?" she ended up blurting.

"What?!" the girl cried, totally shocked. "Do you live under a rock? …Fine, dig the wax out of your ears and listen up! I'm the one who will win the Caliosteo Cup and become the biggest teen idol in the world – I'm Pauleen!"

There was only silence from Dina. Radox couldn't stop giggling at Pauleen's attitude. Unfortunately, Pauleen guessed that the noise he was making was laughter, and Dina could see her give him a death stare through the eyeholes in her mask.

"Your Vivosaur is very rude, you know that?" she said indignantly. "But enough about you – I hear there's a monster in this jungle. I'm going to fight it and win.

"Oh, I just thought of something! You should come along and see how awesome I am! So let's go… Wait. What's your name?"

Relieved that Pauleen could keep the conversation away from her and her apparent "awesomeness", Dina introduced herself.

Pauleen gave her a single nod to show that she acknowledged the introduction, then motioned for her to follow her. Dina sighed as the masked girl tore off through the jungle, looking for the monster. _Can't I meet any NORMAL Fighters?_

**Deep Jungle Labyrinth**

The journey finally ended in a somewhat darker portion of the Jungle Labyrinth. Trees crowded close together, blocking out almost all sunlight. Radox shivered in fear, and Dina picked him up and muttered soothingly to him.

Pauleen didn't seem in the least bit frightened, however. She was calling out repeatedly for the monster to come out and surrender before the most beautiful Fossil Fighter that ever existed – or something of that sort. Dina had stopped paying attention.

"GRAAAHHH!" A loud roar sounded out from the depths of the jungle. It was accompanied by a strange noise that sounded like a motor, and the cracking of shrubs and twigs. Dina started, and Radox leapt back into his Dino Medal.

The sounds grew louder, and Dina could just make out the silhouette of something trundling through the forest, crushing the undergrowth before it. Another roar emanated through the eerie darkness, and she felt a chill up her spine.

"AHA!" yelled Pauleen. "There it is!" She began to chase after the thing, Dina following after only a moment's hesitation.

They caught up to it in a clearing, where the trees weren't as close and a little bit of light was able to reach the ground. With a jolt, Dina caught sight of something sitting in the shadows, glowing eyes focused on the duo.

"Prepare to meet your doom at the hands of Pauleen, the most beautiful Fighter in the land!" Pauleen cried out, rushing forward. The monster rushed out as well, entering the sunlit glade, roaring at the top of its lungs.

Dina had to bite her tongue to keep from bursting out in raucous laughter. The "monster" was easily the stupidest thing she had ever seen. Car headlights made up the eyes, while cardboard covered the rest. She could easily see a voice recorder hooked up to a microphone in its mouth.

All of a sudden, the pseudo-monster exploded, parts flying everywhere. Pauleen was knocked to the ground, and Dina covered her face. When it was over, Dina could see the head of the monster lying at her feet, roar petering out to a high-pitched whine that soon faded.

Two Fighters, one in brown and one in blue clothing, ran up and saw the damage. "Aw, man," said the one in blue. "The darned thing broke."

His companion stepped up next. "Well," he replied, totally ignoring Dina and Pauleen. "It's been scaring off Fighters 24/7. I'm surprised it lasted this long."

Pauleen couldn't believe her ears. "Wait just a minute!" she exclaimed. "What do you mean, scaring off Fighters? You fabricated this for such a worthless purpose?"

Finally, the two Fighters took notice of the two girls standing there, one in shock and one in rage. "Yep, it's a fake," crowed the brown guy proudly. "Me and Jerry here built it ourselves!"

Dina sniggered. "I could tell," she laughed. Jerry, the one in blue, turned bright red, annoyed. "Hey, it was a very good fake!" he protested angrily. "All the Fighters were too scared to come to this part of the jungle! That way, we could take all the fossil rocks for ourselves!"

Dina gasped, and Jerry clapped a hand to his mouth as he realized what he had just said. "You idiot!" raged his partner. Jerry glared at him and said, "Shut up, Lee!"

Lee suddenly turned on Dina and Pauleen. "Well, now you know our little secret, and we can't be having that, now can we?" he asked rhetorically. "Let's lock 'em up somewhere 'till they forget, eh, Jerry?"

Now Dina was mad. "Yeah?" she challenged, hand reaching for her Dino Medals. "Let's see if you fight as badly as you build!" With that, she sent out three of her Vivosaurs; Radox, Tricera, and Krypto, one of her newest Vivosaurs. Its red eyes bored into Jerry's, causing him to become nervous.

"If it's a Fossil Battle you want, you're on! Take 'em down, Nycto and Anomalo!" With that, he sent out his two – Nycto, a little pterosaur, and Anomalo, a strange, centipede-like creature with flippers instead of legs.

Dina saw that Jerry had the first attack. "Nycto, get the little one with Beak Strike!" The green pterosaur shrieked, then flew at Radox like a torpedo, spearing him with its beak. Radox shook off the impact like it was nothing, and Nycto went flying backwards, damaged by its own attack.

_What's going on?_ wondered Dina, completely stunned. Radox answered with pride, _It's my special ability! During the first two turns, I have the potential to Counter an enemy's attacks!_ Dina smiled to herself – Radox was just full of surprises.

"All right! Krypto, use Krypto Fang on Anomalo!" The big, black theropod reared back, then leapt forward and crunched down on Anomalo's body, scoring a critical blow and taking Anomalo down in one hit. _Mmm, sushi!_ snarled Krypto.

Dina ended her turn, and Krypto became victim to a powerful Beak Strike, which took down a quarter of his LP. On the next turn, she had Radox attack with Radox Headbutt, which unfortunately missed.

"Nycto, Beak Strike again, this time on Tricera!" Jerry ordered. Tricera roared in pain as Nycto's small but sharp beak stabbed him in the flank. He suddenly began to glow with an orange light. Dina grinned – she had seen this before, in the preliminaries with Aeros. It was Parting Blow.

"Say goodbye to Nycto!" she yelled across to Jerry. "Tricera, use Running Smash!"

The powerful blue Vivosaur rumbled toward Nycto, driven by both his Parting Blow and his need for payback for Nycto's last attack. Leaping into the air, he slammed Nycto with his powerful horns, causing the little Vivosaur to fly straight into the air and plummet back down.

When Nycto landed, it gave an exhausted squawk and reverted into its Dino Medal. Dina had, once again, won the battle.

"What?!" exclaimed Jerry, looking across to Lee, who had also lost against Pauleen. "Th-they're too tough!"

Suddenly, Stella's voice rang through the gloom of the forest behind them. "Pauleen, Dina, are you all right?" She soon ran into view, followed by two members of the staff.

"What's this all about?" she inquired, catching sight of the fake monster. Dina only took a few seconds to explain what had happened.

"Interesting," murmured Stella. "So they were scaring off other Fighters in order to claim all of the fossils for themselves."

Her attitude suddenly turned incredibly harsh. Both Jerry and Lee, and Dina as well, backed away instinctively. "Seize them!" Stella commanded the two staff members, and they chased them into the jungle.

"Don't worry, Dina," Stella said, cheerful attitude coming back. "I'll see to it that they're banished from the islands." Dina shrugged at this. "As long as they don't cause any more trouble, I don't care where they end up," she replied.

Stella nodded, then went to follow her assistants. She said over her shoulder, "See you later, Dina. You too, Pauleen." Then she vanished into the Jungle Labyrinth.

Pauleen turned toward Dina, head cocked to the side. She then straightened and said, "Hey, thanks for helping me out, Dina. You're really good at this!"

Dina blushed at the compliment, but before she could respond, Pauleen finished, "… Not as good as me, of course. But pretty good!" Now Dina glared, but kept her thoughts to herself.

"Hey, Dina! You're alive!" came Todd's shout of joy, and then he came barreling out of the bushes. He suddenly caught sight of Pauleen, and jumped back about five feet. "EEEK! The monster's right here!"

Pauleen, boiling mad, stalked right up to Todd and yelled, "Stop calling me a monster! I'm a Fighter! And a teen idol! … And my name's Pauleen!"

Todd calmed down somewhat. "If you don't want to be called names," he told her, "then you shouldn't wear a mask! Why don't you take it off?"

Pauleen suddenly became flustered. "Nope, I can't do it. I wear that mask for personal reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with you! Now good-bye!" She then ran off, deeper into the labyrinth.

"What kind of weirdo wears a mask for personal reasons?" asked Todd, somewhat amazed. Dina simply gave him a skeptical glance that said, _Don't ask._

Dina suddenly jumped at the high-pitched beeping of her Paleopager. "_Round 2 of the Caliosteo Cup will now begin,_" it said. "_Rockin' Billy has been selected as Dina's opponent. Please check in at Ribular Town's Fighter Station when fully prepared._"

Todd looked excited. "Round 2 is finally starting!" he said, eyes shining. "I'll meet you back at the Fighter Station, OK?" Before Dina could answer, he tore off for RibularTown.

"You did great, Radox," she encouraged her Vivosaur. "You too, Tricera." She felt their Dino Medals tremble with pleasure.

Taking a deep breath through her nose in anticipation of her next match, Dina headed back to Ribular Town and the Fossil Battle that awaited.

**Ribular Town**

Walking into the Common Room, Dina came face-to-face with her opponent – Rockin' Billy, the man with the bad haircut that had warned her and Todd about the "monster" in the Jungle Labyrinth.

"Seems that you proved that the monster was nothin' but a big ol' pussycat," he was saying. "That's some fine work, unh-hunh. Now I only got one more thing to say…"

His expression suddenly became menacing, nothing what Dina had been expecting. "Why'd you have to go and do that?" he raged. "I had a plan to take all them rare fossils, and now it's ruined!"

Dina's shocked face rearranged itself into a snarl. She hadn't been expecting this, but she didn't let her surprise get in the way of her anger. _So you and those other two losers were working together?_ she thought, anger clouding her mind. Aeros growled from his Dino Medal, saying, _Let me at him, Dina. I want him to pay!_

"Yeah, that's right," continued Rockin' Billy, practically reading her thoughts. "I'm in cahoots with the two folks that ended up coolin' their heels in the hoosegow. So now I get a chance for revenge, and it's goin' to taste sweeter than Auntie Mable's pecan pie."

Dina gritted her teeth. "Think again, Billy!" she growled. "I'm going to twist your head so far around, you'll be able to stare yourself in the eye!" Her five Vivosaurs roared their approval.

Rockin' Billy guffawed. "I'm gonna play you like a fiddle in a jug band, babaloo!" he laughed, and then the stadium doors opened. The duo stepped through, ready to do battle.

Once again, Dina was greeted by the cheering of the crowd as she stepped into the Fossil Stadium. Walking to the left side of the battlefield, she turned and faced Rockin' Billy, who gave her a smug smirk from the other side.

"_Welcome to the next match of Round 2 of the Caliosteo Cup!_" said Ty Ranno, who was again commentating on the battle. "_This time, we have Dina versus Rockin' Billy, whom our most recent report says is the one behind the rumored monster hoax in the Jungle Labyrinth!_"

There were boos and shocked gasps from the crowd at this news, and Rockin' Billy scowled. Dina was stunned. _How did they find out so quickly?_ she thought. _Never mind. I have a battle to win._

Rockin' Billy sent out his Vivosaurs first: there was the menacing Raja, the lazy Nigo, who emerged from its Dino Medal fast asleep, and the just plain weird-looking Parapu. _Two Earth-types and a Water-type,_ thought Dina, frustrated. _He's covering up for his team's weaknesses._

"Go, Krypto, Aeros, and Nigo!" she called over the roar of the crowd. Her three Vivosaurs appeared with awe-inspiring roars, except for Nigo – it, too, was fast asleep. _We can cover up for Nigo for now,_ growled Aeros. _Just leave it to Krypto and I._

Dina nodded once, and saw that she had the first attack. One glance at her Fighter's Watch showed that Parapu had been automatically Hardened, meaning that its defenses would be increased for the time being. _OK, I won't attack it then._

"Krypto, use Krypto Fang on Raja!" His red eyes glowed briefly before he clamped his jaws shut on Raja's flank. Raja roared in pain – the critical hit had taken at least a third of his LP. Dina chose to end her turn and save FP for another assault.

Rockin' Billy seemed to consider his options for a second. Then, he did something completely shocking to Dina – he chose to end his turn without making an attack! What was going on?

Helpfully, Trip Cera chose that moment to exclaim, "_Looks like Rockin' Billy is saving up for BIG MOVES! Dina better take this crook down with all speed!_"

Dina herself smirked. "With pleasure," she muttered to herself, then as Nigo slowly opened its eyes at last, she shouted, "Nigo, hit Parapu with Nigo Stomp!"

Just because Nigo was a little drowsy, that didn't mean that he couldn't attack with everything it had. With a grunt, he galloped across the battlefield, reared up, and slammed his heavy weight on top of Parapu. The ammonite shrieked as it was crushed by Nigo's foot.

As Nigo slowly retreated to his starting position, Rockin' Billy yelled, "Parapu, use Bewilder Beam on ol' Krypto!" Parapu responded with a high-pressure beam of water, shot from between its tentacles. Poor Krypto was hit so hard, he became confused.

Dina knew that a confused Vivosaur wouldn't obey her orders, so she left Krypto be for the time being. Instead, she commanded Aeros to use Wind Blast on Parapu. The blast scored a critical hit and knocked Parapu out of the fight. As its Dino Medal landed, the crowd cheered loudly.

Clenching his jaw, Rockin' Billy had Nigo and Raja attack with Nigo Stomp and Raja Fang, respectively. Both Aero and Krypto were hit hard, but stayed on their feet.

At least, Aeros did – Krypto, in his confusion, lashed out with a Krypto Fang at Nigo. Dina facepalmed as she saw her FP drop just below the amount for either Aeros or Nigo to attack. With a reluctant groan, she ended her turn.

This time, Krypto was slammed by a Nigo Stomp and knocked out. His Dino Medal landed at Dina's feet. _What happened?_ he asked her, still a little confused. "You did good, friend," she murmured to him. "Just take it easy now."

Krypto settled down, and Dina commanded Nigo to use Nigo Spin. His immense tail whipped toward Raja, and impacted against his side with a loud *boom!*. Raja hit the ground and slowly dissolved back into its Dino Medal.

One more hit from Rockin' Billy's Nigo took Dina's out of the fight. "_Wow, the Vivosaurs are dropping like flies!_" shouted Trip. Ty agreed, and said, "_It's the final Vivosaur for both Dina and Rockin' Billy. Who'll come out on top?_"

"Aeros, use Wind Blast, and avenge your fallen partners!" Dina yelled, to which Aeros responded with a huge gust of wind that made Nigo stagger backwards. It was still well in the fight, though, with half of its LP left. The same couldn't be said for Aeros, however – Rockin' Billy's earlier attack had left him badly injured.

"Nigo, finish Aeros with another Nigo Stomp!" cried Rockin' Billy, triumph in his voice. Dina looked away as Nigo prepared to pummel Aeros to the ground. The ground shook with the impact, and Dina feared that it was all over.

But no! The crowd's cheers made her look back to the fight – Aeros was still standing, glowing with a ferocious orange light. _It's my Parting Blow,_ wheezed Aeros, badly weakened yet still ready to rumble. _Shall we finish this, Dina?_

A triumphant grin slowly spread across Dina's face as she answered, "Yes we shall." Her voice rose to a shout as she said, "Aeros, use Aeros Alert!"

Nigo's heavy-lidded eyes widened as Aeros's tail whipped in the face, sending it sprawling. But Aeros wasn't about to let it get up, as he savagely bit down on its long neck. Nigo bellowed, then with a burst of white light, retreated into its Dino Medal.

Still glowing, Aeros shook the stadium with a roar. The crowd responded with a roar of its own, and Dina cheered. She hugged Aeros's leg in her joy, and he gave her a toothy smile before he became a medal again. From their Dino Medals, her other Vivosaurs congratulated her in their own way.

Dina had won Round 2, and it felt great!

**Two Minutes Later**

Back in the main room of the Fighter Station, Dina cornered Rockin' Billy. He looked simultaneously nervous and angry.

"That ain't how the plan was supposed to go at all!" he raged. "I ain't gonna forget this! I got my eye on you, and I'll see you fail if it's the last thing I do!" He was about to say something else, but was interrupted.

"That's quite enough, Rockin' Billy!" came Stella's voice from elsewhere. Both Fighters turned to see her walking towards them. Even from that distance, Dina could tell that she was NOT in a good mood.

"That pair of fools we caught in the Jungle Labyrinth couldn't wait to point their fingers at you as their partner in their scheme!" she seethed, just as mad as she had been earlier.

Rockin' Billy took a step back. "Time to go, unh-hunh!" he said quickly, and then turned tail and ran off. Stella shook her head. "He won't get far…" she muttered, and sure enough, Rockin' Billy was soon caught by the other staff members.

As they took him away, Stella turned to Dina, back to her cheery self. "You just sit back and concentrate on the Cup, OK?" Dina nodded with a smirk. "So much for honor among thieves, eh?" she laughed. As Stella gave a chuckle, Dina thought to herself, _So that's how the announcers knew…_

Stella was talking again. "Here's your prize for clearing Round 2," she said, and handed Dina a fossil rock. "That type of fossil rock can usually only be found by upgrading your sonar."

Dina nodded again, making a mental note to save up for a sonar upgrade. Stella stamped Dina's Fighter's License, marking her as a Level 3 Fighter. She walked away with a wave.

Without warning, Todd came rushing up to Dina. "Way to go!" he cried. "You're through two rounds now! You can do this, I'm counting on you!" Dina smiled slightly at his encouragement, and he suddenly became nervous. _Every time…_ she sighed in her mind.

Suddenly, they heard the cheering of the crowd through the Fossil Stadium doors, which had just opened to reveal Pauleen walking through. Almost instantly, she spotted the duo and sped over.

"So, Dina," she said haughtily. "Looks like you're through Round 2 as well! Of course, your win wasn't as fast as mine. It didn't have as much panache either. But congrats anyway!" Dina raised a single eyebrow, but smiled her thanks.

Pauleen was still on a roll. "Don't get any big ideas about winning though. Because I'm going to be the most beautiful Champion there ever was! …Oh, and humble, too." Dina put a hand to her mouth to stop herself from laughing. _Humble, my exoskeleton!_ hissed Radox from his Dino Medal.

Todd, of course, was quick to leap to Dina's defense. "Cram it!" he snapped. "Dina isn't going to lose to a braggart like you! And if you're so pretty, take off your mask and prove it!"

Pauleen became flustered again. "I told you earlier, I wear this mask for personal reasons, and that's the end of it!" She stalked off hurriedly.

Giving Dina a skeptical look, Todd said, "I think that she isn't pretty at all underneath that thing. I'll bet she's totally ugly!" He gave a kind of strangled giggle that bothered Dina.

"Whatever the case," she yawned, suddenly exhausted, "I'm going to get some sleep. We've got another big day ahead of us, you know." Without waiting for a reply, she headed off for her campsite.

**Glad that's over. I hated Rockin' Billy when I first played FFC, even more than the Gobul in Monster Hunter Tri. It took me four effin' tries to beat his stupid Parapu and his Bewilder Beam!**

**Ranting aside, the next chapter might take a while, so just sit tight until then! As always, reviews are appreciated.**

**TRIVIA: The original title of this chapter was going to be "A Rockin' Round Two!", but I decided on the current one. You see, it sums up both Rockin' Billy and the two idiots in the jungle, since they're all partners.**


	5. Hot Battles in Mount Krakanak

**FINALLY, I'm finished this chapter. And it's a long one, too – it covers everything from Round Two (last chapter) all the way to Round Three. This will most likely be the longest chapter in this fanfic.**

**If you don't know this already, I'm now writing a Pokemon fanfic, which is also in progress. So now the chapters for Wrath of the Caliosteo King are probably going to be published at half the rate as before.**

**You have been warned.**

It was midmorning when Dina stepped off of the helicopter and onto the ground. As the vehicle lifted off again, the wind that it whipped up caused her hair to fly into her face. When she had successfully brushed it away, she got her first good look at Cranial City.

It was very different from Ribular Town, and certainly not as lush or green. It seemed like it had been built on an arid wasteland. Everything was yellow, brown, and red, and the humidity was close to zero. Dina felt glad that she had packed a couple of water bottles in advance.

"Welcome to Cranial Isle!" called a voice, and Dina looked toward what seemed to be the Fighter Station. A man wearing a blue and yellow outfit similar to Stella's was walking toward her in a friendly manner.

"Welcome!" he said again. "This is Cranial City, the land where heat and passion swirl! The name's Terry, and I'm the Staff Leader here on Cranial Isle." Dina was about to introduce herself as well, when Terry cut her off.

"You must be Dina, right?" he asked, and grinned at her startled reaction. "Stella had a lot to say about you, you know. Word on the street is, not only did you pass through the first two rounds with flying colors, but you also took down some cheats who were scaring Fighters with a fake monster."

Dina nodded, a little embarrassed by having Terry list her accomplishments with such admiration. He whistled and continued, "Man, you are some kind of Fighter. Oh, I almost forgot! We installed Medal Bank features in all of the VMMs in the Caliosteo Fossil Park."

With a confused look in her eye, Dina asked uncertainly, "Medal Bank?" Terry chuckled and replied, "Yeah, it's quite a bit to wrap your head around, so I'll explain. Basically, the Bank lets you store Dino Medals as if you don't already own the Vivosaur. So next time you clean a head fossil, you'll get a whole new Vivosaur of the same species. That way, you can build an entire team with only one Vivosaur!"

Now Dina understood, and she was quite excited about the possibilities. _A whole team of Aeros! Imagine that,_ she thought gleefully, and she swore that she heard Aeros himself chuckle.

Terry saluted her in farewell and then walked off. Dina was about to go to the Fighter Station to get her new fossil clean when she heard a familiar voice.

"I say, the CS Sonar is a right finicky device," the voice said, seemingly frustrated. "It has to be practically on top of a Slablet to get a reading!" Dina turned at the mention of a Slablet and sure enough, Professor Nigel Scatterly was there, wandering around aimlessly and muttering to himself.

As she approached, she heard him huff, "I'd have to explore dig sites in a slow, painstaking fashion, and I'm far too old for such tomfoolery…" Dina chuckled to herself before calling out cheerfully, "Hello, Professor Scatterly!"

He jumped at least a foot in the air before he turned around and smiled. "Good heavens, if it isn't Dina!" he boomed heartily. "I was hoping you'd make it to the shores of Cranial Isle someday!"

After a pause during which neither Dina nor Professor Scatterly said anything, the old man suddenly piped up, "Well, how does Cranial City find you? Does its unfamiliar layout confuse and befuddle you?"

Dina tried to object, but the Professor launched into a tour of the city. She did learn something new, though – Wildwest Tower, the place where Joe Wildwest lived and spent most of his time, was located above the Fighter Station.

The tour ended at the Caliosteo Museum, of which Professor Scatterly was particularly proud. However, the only interesting things that Dina found there were the two Calio Slablets that the Professor had put on display.

Helpfully, he told her how to get to the newest dig site, Mount Krakanak. He finished his lecture with, "Yes, well, the Caliosteo Museum is always open. Science never sleeps, wot wot? In any case, feel free to pop in for a spot of tea and a lecture any time!"

Dina grinned and enthusiastically accepted his offer. Soon, she had walked out of the museum and bolted for Cranial City's central stairway. Mount Krakanak and the fossils it held beckoned.

**Mount Krakanak**

Dina stopped from exhaustion and panted for a little bit. At least with the Jungle Labyrinth, there was a little humidity. Here at Mount Krakanak, it was terribly dry and even hotter in temperature. Stretching her aching back, Dina decided to quit fossil hunting for the day.

She was heading off to Cranial City when she heard a voice. "Hey, Dina!" Of course, it was Todd.

"You here to dig?" he asked when he had reached her. "Actually-" Dina began, but Todd didn't even give her a chance.

"This place is awesome!" he said enthusiastically, hopping up and down. "There's so many fossil rocks that I've never even seen before! Go ahead and throw down your pickaxe! See what you find!"

Dina sighed and started again. "Todd-" But yet again, she was interrupted by a cold and somewhat familiar voice.

"I knew that you were here by the way the air suddenly filled with high-pitched squeals of delight." Dina groaned and slapped her forehead in dismay – it was Rupert again, this time towing some kind of robotic contraption.

Todd, at least, was willing to act friendly. "Hey Rupert!" he said. "Are you here to find fossil rocks for Round 3?"

Rupert shook his head exasperatedly. "Please don't sully me with such accusations," he sighed. "My Vivosaurs are already strong enough to win Round 3 with ease."

As Dina kept her annoyance in check – it seemed to be getting easier each time – Rupert continued, "No, I simply came here to run some tests on a new product." He gestured to the robot behind him, which subsequently floated forward.

"This is Di66-R," Rupert introduced. "An automated excavation tool developed by FossilDig, Inc." At his words, Di66-R bowed politely. "Greetings, sir or madam," it said in a monotone yet somehow warm voice. "I am Di66-R. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Rupert wore a smug smile on his face. "This robot contains built-in sonar and has the ability to excavate fossil rocks automatically. It is an important product for my company, which is why Father asked me to perform the field test. The sales potential of Di66-R are almost limitless. Why, when other Fighters see what it can do…"

At that moment, Di66-R started smoking, and its speech shuddered. "Di66-R will b-b-be releas-s-sed!" it stuttered, its voice growing increasingly out of control. "W-w-welcome, sir! Go, madam!" I am… I am-m-m-m-m…"

Suddenly, there was a muffled explosion and the acrid scent of burning metal. Di66-R abruptly stopped speaking and appeared to shut down entirely. "Is that what it can do?" Dina asked innocently, and Rupert glared at her sarcasm.

"Bother!" he spat, taking his anger out on the robot. "What's the matter with you now?" Di66-R responded with, "404 PAGE NOT FOUND! BAD COMMAND OR FILE NAME! ABORT RETRY FAIL!" Its voice became akin to fingernails on a chalkboard, and Dina involuntarily covered her ears.

In a blur of motion, Di66-R slammed its metallic claw into Rupert's head and sped off toward the volcano. Rupert was knocked to the ground, clearly dizzy and slightly cross-eyed.

"No," he slurred. "No, no, no, no! That idiot robot ran off with my Dino Medals!" He tried to stand up, but fell to the ground, badly stunned and in danger of losing consciousness.

Despite the bad blood between her and Rupert, Dina knelt down to check on him. "Wh-what are you doing?" he tried to exclaim, but it came out as a whisper. "It's programmed with a Fossil Battle system, and if it starts battling Fighters with my Vivosaurs…" Then Rupert's eyes rolled back in his head, and he said no more.

"Todd," Dina said firmly. "You stay with Rupert until he regains his consciousness, then come after me. I'm going ahead to stop that robot." Todd was so shocked at what had just happened, that he simply nodded.

Dina started up the slopes of the volcano, ready to turn Di66-R to scrap metal.

**The Volcano**

Peeking around a boulder, Dina caught sight of Di66-R. A vivid purple robot amidst gray and brown rocks isn't exactly hard to spot.

Without warning, Di66-R turned and met her gaze. "Green alert!" it screeched, the high-pitched, grating sound making her wince and her head throb. "Fighter located-ed-ed! Battle system i-i-i-initiated!"

So fast that Dina wasn't even sure that it had moved, Di66-R whipped out three Dino Medals – a Brachio, Krypto, and Allo. Dina quickly sized them up. _Damn, no weaknesses to take advantage of,_ she thought, gritting her teeth – indeed, all three Vivosaurs were of the Neutral type.

"Aeros, Tricera, Radox! Let's roll!" she called, gathering up the three Dino Medals. With a flash of light, all three stood facing the enemy's Vivosaurs. _Ready when you are, Dina!_ shouted Aeros.

"I'm always ready!" responded Dina. "Now let's give Krypto a Wind Blast!" Krypto was instantly bombarded by a ferocious wind that blasted it backwards. Already, a good chunk of LP had been taken out.

Di66-R must have entered its command into its computer or something, because Allo reared back and chomped Tricera with Allo Bite. Tricera managed to hang on, but he winced slightly from the pain as he stepped back into position.

Dina quickly considered what attack she should use next, and then told Tricera to use Running Smash on Krypto. Tricera's horns smashed into Krypto's midsection, sending him into his Dino Medal. _So much for you,_ Tricera muttered.

However, Dina couldn't celebrate just yet, as Allo attacked yet again with Allo Fang, and Tricera was hit yet again. Di66-R finished with Brachio's Mighty Stomp, causing Dina's team to swap their positions.

Now Radox was in front, backed by Aeros and Tricera. Dina ordered, "Radox, move into Tricera's position!" The little trilobite did so, and now Aeros was back in its original position at the front.

"Now use Radox Blade on Allo!" she told him. Radox's eyes glinted dangerously, then he sped toward the carnivore and slashed at it with his bladed carapace. Allo roared, then stepped back into the battle.

Allo then used another Allo Fang, which hit Tricera again. _If this keeps up, then Tricera won't stand a chance!_ Dina thought grimly, then called, "Tricera, use Tricera Combo!"

Tricera stampeded towards Allo, ramming his horns into its stomach. Then, he jumped up while swinging his head upwards, catching Allo in the chin. Allo fell with one final roar, and disappeared into its Dino Medal.

Di66-R didn't seem discouraged in the least. It commanded Brachio to use Mighty Stomp, but since Brachio was a little flustered at the loss of its teammates, its huge foot crashed a foot away from Aeros.

Dina pummeled Brachio with a Running Smash from Tricera, and then a Radox Headbutt from Radox. The big sauropod reeled from the blows, but still held on strong. Its next attack hit Tricera, sending him into his Dino Medal.

_Forgive me, Dina,_ Tricera said sadly. _Di66-R's constant attacks were too much._ Dina nodded, and even though Tricera couldn't hear her, she felt that he could detect her acknowledgement anyways.

"Aeros! Finish Brachio with Aeros Alert!" Obediently, Aeros smashed his tail, then his jaws, into Brachio's flank. Impossibly, Brachio held on with only a sliver of LP left.

_Wow, that is some resilient Vivosaur,_ Dina thought, half-frustrated, half-impressed. "Alright then!" she shouted to Radox. "End it for real with Radox Blade!"

Radox smirked underneath its exoskeleton, then charged full force at the titanic Vivosaur. His left horn began to glow with a powerful light, and he leapt as far as his little legs would carry him. Radox slashed sideways with his armored head, tearing a huge gash in Brachio's neck.

Brachio roared and flung its great head upwards, then vanished. Radox, barely 2 feet long, had taken down a Vivosaur almost fifty times its size.

Di66-R, which had been shuddering and spasming for the entire battle, suddenly calmed down. "… System restored. Reboot complete. Full functionality has been restored," it said in its normal, monotone voice.

Dina breathed a sigh of relief. She was just about to say something when she heard Todd from farther down the slopes of the volcano.

"Way to go, Dina!" he called. When he had reached her, Dina caught sight of Rupert making his way up as well. He was a little shaky, but otherwise all right.

"… You did it?" he asked when he arrived. "You… stopped the robot?" His voice seemed a little more cautious. Dina nodded at his question and confirmed, "Di66-R is fully functional again."

Rupert looked at her for a long time. He then nodded in a satisfied way. "You should not have taken matters into your own hands," he began. "Still, I suppose you did… save my father's company from complete financial ruin. Very well, when we release Di66-R, I will see to it that you get the first one."

Dina realized that this was Rupert's way of saying thank-you. Still, she didn't want a fossil-digging robot – that would take all of the fun out of finding her own fossils. After considering what she would say to him, she tried her best to explain this to him.

When Dina had finished, Rupert was looking at her quizzically. "I… I don't understand," he said simply, honestly confused. "You're telling me that Fossil Fighters want to dig up their own fossil rocks because they find it… fun?"

Todd rolled his eyes. "For a smart guy, you're really dumb," he scoffed – something Todd didn't ordinarily do. Dina gave him a hard look and said, "That didn't make ANY sense." He did what his common sense told him to do and backed off.

Rupert was silent as he glanced once again at Dina, then Todd. Finally, he turned and said in his usual cold tone, "Come, Di66-R! We must be off."

As the robot floated after him, Rupert, for some reason, glanced back at Dina for a final time. She held his gaze for a second, and then he ran off.

When he had left, Todd instantly jumped into the silence. "So," he said, "I'm heading back to Cranial City once I'm done fossil digging. Meet me there?" Dina nodded once, and then left him on the volcanic slopes to dig.

As she walked back down Mount Krakanak, she thought back to the way Rupert glanced at her before leaving. She remembered the cold, yet gentle, gaze of those golden eyes, and she felt her face grow hot.

_It's the heat,_ Dina thought determinedly. _I need to retreat to the slightly cooler temperature of Cranial City._ With a shake of her head, perhaps to ward off any unwanted feelings from returning, she doubled her pace toward the city.

**Cranial City**

Nearly the instant Dina got into Cranial City, she could see that something was up. A bunch of Fighters were talking nervously to one another, occasionally making exaggerated gestures with their arms.

"Excuse me," said Dina, walking into the middle of them. "What's going on here?" They all turned as one, faces grim.

"Someone just stole the Mammoth Vision video screen!" said a boy slightly younger than Dina was. Someone else commented, "I think they have a back-up unit, so it's OK. But still! Who'd want to steal something that big?"

Dina was relieved. "There are worse things than simple thievery, right?" she asked, unconcerned. Before she could get a reply, one of the Fighters suddenly glanced up and pointed to the sky.

"Hey!" she shouted out. "Here comes the Mammoth Vision now!" Dina also looked up.

Indeed, the giant television screen was flying their way. Dina didn't know what it was, but she seemed to be getting some kind of… ominous feeling of foreboding radiating from the screen. _I don't think it's good news,_ worried Aeros.

Suddenly, the screen flickered on, and the crowd that had gathered gasped in shock and horror. Dina, although certainly stunned, automatically assumed a battle-ready pose, expecting some kind of trouble.

"Puny mortals!" boomed a voice from the speakers. "Bow before Don Boneyard, the one true leader of the BareBones Brigade!"

The speaker was, from what Dina could see, a talking skeleton wearing a crown and a huge cloak that covered his entire body. _What's going on?_ she thought furiously. _The BareBones Brigade? Who are they?_

"This park will be mine! Bwa ha ha!" laughed Don Boneyard, certainly enjoying the sight of dozens of Fighters cowering in fear. "And you can forget digging at the Mount Krakanak… for I have blocked the path! Your Cup will soon be no more!"

Then he gave in to maniacal laughter that carried away into the distance as the Mammoth Vision screen slowly flew off.

**Mount Krakanak**

"DINA!" came Todd's shout, echoing slightly. Dina jumped and looked up from the massive boulder she was examining.

The boulder, she had discovered, was blocking the only path into Mount Krakanak. It obviously had not been placed there by natural means, so Don Boneyard clearly hadn't been lying. Even Dina's trusty pickaxe couldn't break it – every swing only chipped off a small fragment.

"Did you see that?" Todd exclaimed, too excited to have run out of breath. He was clearly referring to what had happened in Cranial City. "The BareBones Brigade is the biggest, baddest crime syndicate around! What are we going to do?"

Dina waited patiently for Todd to calm down enough so she could give him her answer. "I'm going to break this boulder," she said confidently. "Then everyone will be able to find fossil rocks for Round 3. Obviously, that was Don Boneyard's plan from the start, to cut off the supply of up-to-date fossils, and therefore force the cancellation of the Caliosteo Cup."

Todd completely ignored the last part of her monologue. "Um, how are we going to break it?" he said, worriedly scratching his head. "I mean, you're good and all, but this thing's on a whole other level."

Dina shook her head, not wanting to waste her energy on words. She swung again and again at the boulder, chipping off one piece at a time. Eventually, with a look on his face that suggested that he was going to regret this, Todd joined in. Together, they made a little more progress, but the difference was more or less insignificant.

They didn't even notice the mechanical whirring and the accompanying footsteps until a familiar voice spoke up. "At this rate, we'll be old and wrinkled before this boulder is completely gone."

Todd whipped around and Dina simply turned calmly. Standing before them were Rupert and Di66-R. Now that he had their attention, he stepped between them and gently pushed the two of them aside.

"Stand aside, children," he said without emotion. Then, turning to Di66-R, he commanded, "Di66-R, please destroy this obstruction."

The robot obediently moved forward. "Of course, sir or madam," it intoned. "It would be my pleasure to assist you." Then without any warning, it began to swipe savagely at the boulder, tearing off huge chunks. And all the while, it repeated, "Digging… Digging… Digging… Digging…"

Todd's eyes were rounder than a frog's. "Holy crow, look at that thing go!" he exclaimed in admiration. "Not bad," commented Dina, prompting Rupert to turn and stare at her for a second or two. She turned away instinctively.

Soon, however, Di66-R's movements became more and more sluggish. "Digging… Diiiiiiiiiging… ERROR. FILE NOT FOUND." Now it was flailing its claws everywhere as it tried to take more swipes at the boulder.

"Damn!" cursed Rupert. "It's running out of power! And we're so close, too…" Dina just looked at the poor robot as it continued to flail, mouth set in a grim line. Then, with a single nod, she stepped up beside Di66-R and drew her pickaxe.

"B-be careful, Dina!" stuttered Todd, eyeing the robot's vicious claws. This time, it was Dina's turn to ignore him as she began to swing her pickaxe at the boulder, taking off miniscule fragments.

Di66-R noticed her fruitless efforts and suddenly stopped digging. "Does sir or madam wish to assist Di66-R?" it asked sincerely. Dina was struck at its tone – despite being a robot, its voice seemed to carry an undercurrent of mixed disbelief and happiness. She nodded and said, "Of course."

The robot flexed its claws and responded, "No one has ever offered to assist Di66-R in digging before. Now I know why you humans smile."

Full of new energy, Di66-R continued slashing at the boulder, with twice the speed as before. "Diggingdiggingdiggingdigging …" it continuously said as it did so.

With Dina's help, Di66-R, with one final punch, shattered the boulder's remains. She felt like cheering, but was too exhausted to even try. _Destroying a boulder is tougher than it looks,_ she thought, panting in order to catch her breath.

"Excellent job, Di66-R. You have made me very proud," said Rupert, then turned to Dina. "Whoever put the boulder here must still be in the area," he said to her. "I'm going to look for them."

Dina felt a sudden urge take hold of her, and before she knew it, she was taking a step closer to him. "I'm coming too," she said determinedly. "You shouldn't go alone, no matter how powerful your Vivosaurs are."

It might have been her imagination, but Dina thought she saw Rupert crack the tiniest of smiles. "Let's go then," he said after a moment. "Come on, Di66-R." Dina motioned Todd along, but as she, Rupert, and Di66-R headed for the volcano, she heard a groan.

"Ooooh!" cried Todd, grabbing his stomach and doubling over. "My stomach! It huuurts! I shouldn't have left that mayonnaise that had been left in the sun…" He sat down heavily on a small rock and rubbed his belly, still moaning.

Dina facepalmed and said, "See you later then." She then took off after Rupert, toward Mount Krakanak.

**The Volcano**

Dina, Rupert, and Di66-R made their way once again up the slopes of Mount Krakanak. The heat became stifling as they neared the crater of the volcano, and Dina found herself panting heavily as they trudged on.

Suddenly, Di66-R stopped and said to Rupert, "Sir or madam, as you search for the boulder-rolling culprits, I wish to stand by in surveillance mode in case they come from this direction."

Rupert considered, then nodded. "Very well, Di66-R. If they do come, alert us." The robot instantly halted its progress and began to scan the surrounding area.

"Come on, Dina," he prompted her, then walked off. She nodded and turned to Di66-R, who noticed instantly. "Di66-R will be fine," it assured her. "Follow sir or madam and give them whatever assistance they acquire." With that, it returned to its surveillance, and Dina went after Rupert.

She found him crouched behind a rock, large enough to conceal a person three times his size. When she approached, he jumped and whirled around.

"Oh, be still my heart," he said, relieved. "It's only you." Dina nodded and joined him behind the boulder.

"Whom are we hiding from?" she asked him. Rupert, in response, pointed to something in the distance and replied, "I've spotted a few unpleasant types skulking about, and I've little doubt that they're with the BareBones Brigade."

Dina followed his finger and indeed saw two shifty-looking characters talking to one another. They seemed to be near the massive crater of the volcano. Dina swore that she felt the heat increase as she spied the wisps of vapor rising from it.

"Are you ready to battle them, Dina?" asked Rupert, cutting through her thoughts. Without even looking at him, she nodded solemnly. The pair took off from behind the rock, heading for the crater.

When they got there, Dina could hear the hooligans' conversation. "We're going to show them Fighters what the BB Brigade is all about!" crowed the first one, Scotty Bones. His partner, Tony Bones, agreed with him, saying with a burst of raucous laughter, "Haw haw, yeah! There's no way they're getting past our awesome boulder!"

That was when Dina and Rupert arrived. "Actually, we've reduced your boulder to pebbles," remarked Rupert, causing Scotty and Tony to spin around.

If they were surprised, they were hiding it well. The second one, Tony, stepped forward confidently. "Yeah, well, it doesn't matter, rich boy!" he said. "Our Boneysaurs are going to make you pay!"

Dina exchanged a confused look with Rupert. "Boneysaurs?" she mouthed, to which he replied with a shrug. He turned back to the BB duo, saying exasperatedly, "Boneysaurs? Come now, that's positively absurd!"

The two looked very offended despite the masks that partially covered their faces. "Shut up! It is not!" said Scotty Bones. "BB Brigade members get special skeletal Vivosaurs called Boneysaurs – horrifying nightmares straight from Don Boneyard himself!" They both guffawed, sounding like a pair of crows with asthma.

Rupert still wasn't convinced. "Can you take that one, Dina?" he asked, indicating to Scotty Bones. She responded with a "You bet!" and faced Scotty, who had assumed a battle-ready stance.

"Get 'em, Radox, Nigo, and Krypto!" she cried, sending out the three aforementioned Vivosaurs. They roared as one, truly an intimidating sound. But Scotty wasn't fazed at all. "Grind her bones to make our bread, B-Lambeos!" he shouted, and three monstrous creatures appeared opposite Dina's team.

They resembled Lambeosauri, but were all bone. Their skeletons were held together by some kind of dark energy that covered their entire body, giving their bones a dark grey tinge. Each one had blazing violet eyes that looked like purple fire. Simultaneously, they gave chilling howls that caused Dina's blood to freeze.

Dina gulped, then called out a command. "Krypto, use Krypto Fang!" she yelled. The predator snarled, then leapt at one B-Lambeo, biting its arm off. Dina gasped at both the unexpected fragility of the Boneysaur and the horrid snapping sound that occurred. Black energy hissed out of its wound like vaporous ink, and the B-Lambeo screamed at the injury.

The damaged B-Lambeo glared at Krypto with a ferocious gaze of pure hatred, then rocketed forward, slamming its side into him at the last second. Krypto reeled, then steadied himself.

_So they're fragile, but deadly powerful,_ thought Dina, getting over her shock. "Radox, show no mercy!" she shouted. "Use Radox Blade!" The trilobite attacked viciously, slicing off another B-Lambeo's tail. It screeched, then used the same attack that the other one had used. Luckily, Radox managed to dodge.

"Nigo, attack with Nigo Stomp!" Nigo, who was a little drowsy from his initial nap, charged forward at the B-Lambeo with the missing arm. He reared up onto his hind legs, then crashed down with the force of a falling building.

The B-Lambeo shattered, fragments of bone flying everywhere and dark energy evaporating into a foggy cloud. The only thing left intact was the skull, whose eye sockets burned bright for a second, flickered, and then died. Everything was sucked together to form a Dino Medal, which landed on the ground and bounced into Scotty Bones' hand.

Scowling, he ordered a Boney Chomp from each remaining B-Lambeo. Radox as well as Nigo were hit by the powerful hip checks, and both managed to stay standing.

Dina considered her options and decided on a Krypto Combo. Krypto chomped down on the B-Lambeo that had thus far been untouched, ripping off several rib bones. Then, he gave it a hip check of his own, sending it flying.

When it hit the ground, its bones scattered, but as they began to come together again, Dina ordered a Radox Headbutt. The two skulls of Radox and the B-Lambeo collided, and the poor Boneysaur's bones went flying all over the place. Once again, its eyes went out, and it was turned back into a Dino Medal.

Now Scotty Bones was mad. "B-Lambeo, turn Radox into sushi with Boney Chomp!" he shrieked in anger. Radox dodged the attack, then used Radox Blade, this time aiming at the neck. The B-Lambeo wasn't even able to squeak as Radox's glowing horn sliced through its vertebrae and sent its head spinning off.

As Scotty picked up his Dino Medal, cursing under his breath, Dina looked toward Rupert's battle. She watched in awe as his Mapo crunched the last Boneysaur into pulp, and it slowly disappeared.

Tony Bones looked stricken. "Nooooo!" he moaned. "They're completely unfazed by the horror of our Boneysaurs!"

Scotty Bones had a more composed reaction. "Don't think you're such hot stuff because you beat on a couple of lackeys!" he warned. "Don Boneyard will turn your bones to jelly! And he has three commanders that are almost as tough as he is!"

His companion turned to him. "Actually, he has four," Tony corrected. "Remember? That new guy?" Shaking his head, he picked up where Scotty had left off – "They'll beat you so bad, your own moms won't recognize you! Haw haw haw!" They ran off just then, saying over their shoulders, "You really asked for it!"

Rupert shrugged his shoulders and commented, "Those two are full of tough talk, considering we just pummeled them into submission." Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "I must admit, however, that the BareBones Brigade inspires a certain kind of awe…"

Dina just grinned. She was truly happy about the outcome of the battle – they had just defeated the feared BB Brigade! _If they're going to continue to try and ruin the Cup,_ she thought, _and they're all as weak as those two, how hard can it really be to defeat them?_

Such happy thoughts were interrupted by Aeros, who said worriedly, _I doubt it. I have a sinking feeling that Don Boneyard and these "commanders" are much tougher than anything you've faced before._ Dina shivered somewhat – it was kind of creepy how her Vivosaurs could apparently read her thoughts.

She brought herself out of her thoughts just in time to see Rupert turn to her awkwardly. "Dina," he said cautiously, as if unsure how to go on. "Although this pains me somewhat to admit, I probably wouldn't have been able to stop those two alone. I owe you my thanks yet again."

Before she knew it, Dina was blushing. _Stop it!_ she scolded herself. _What is the matter with you?_ Gulping, as if to swallow her unwanted feelings, she said quietly, "It was nothing, really." Once again, Rupert gave her the smallest of smiles.

The moment was suddenly ruined by Todd, who came tearing up to the crater in his usual excited fashion. "Hey, guys!" he called. "Are you OK? Did the BB Brigade show up?"

Rupert nodded. "Yes, but they were no trouble. They've run home to mummy now." Dina considered this, and it was only when she saw Rupert's mouth tweak upwards at the edges that she realized that this was a pun. She giggled slightly, joined a second later by Todd.

"Hey Dina, let's go back to Cranial City, alright?" Todd asked. "We can come back and dig later." Dina nodded enthusiastically – anything to get out of Mount Krakanak's blistering heat.

"See you around, Rupert?" she asked, turning to go. Rupert lowered his head ever so slightly in a nod. This was enough for Dina, and she ran off after Todd.

**Cranial City**

Back in the city, the Mammoth Vision video screen had come around again. But it wasn't Don Boneyard again, as Dina initially believed. It was Joe Wildwest, with an important message for the Fighters.

"Howdy, fellow Cup Fighters," he greeted them. "Now, y'all may already know this, but... it seems we're being hassled by a band'a thieves called the BareBones Brigade."

Joe stared off into the distance for a bit, as if lost in thought. Then, he turned back to the screen and continued to speak. "The BB Brigade tried to ruin the first Caliosteo Cup by sabotagin' and the like. Seems like they're takin' a bolder approach this time 'round. They're sayin' that we gotta vamoose outta this park once and for all. Well, horsefeathers to that!"

The crowd, including Dina and Todd, cheered wildly. "This here Cup is my dream," continued Joe. "And I know it's shared by y'all. So if they want me to cancel it, they're gonna have to saddle up and make me!" There was more cheering.

"The BB Brigade failed to stop the previous Cup, and they'll fail again! The Caliosteo Cup will never surrender! We'll beat them varmints, or my name ain't Joe Wildwest!"

The cheering of the crowd reached its peak. Dina, perhaps, cheered the hardest. She and Aeros had been lucky Joe had declared a second Cup, and for the life of them, they didn't want the BB Brigade to ruin it now that they had the fortune to participate.

And both of them knew that Todd felt the same. "Yeah!" he screamed over the noise of the other Fighters. "Get 'em! Saddle up!"

The Mammoth Vision's screen faded and began to fly off. As the Fighters dissipated, Dina's Paleopager began to ring.

"_The Caliosteo Cup Round 3 matches will now begin,_" it said. "_Nell has been selected as Dina's opponent. Please get ready, then check in at Cranial City's Fossil Stadium._"

Todd clapped an encouraging hand on Dina's shoulder. "You'll be great!" he said enthusiastically. "I'm counting on you!" She nodded, and he ran off.

Dina made her preparations, then walked into the Common Room of Cranial City's Fighter Station. It wasn't that different from Ribular Town's, actually. The familiar atmosphere comforted her.

Suddenly, a girl wearing a bright yellow dress and carrying a parasol walked up to her. "Bwa ha ha ha!" she laughed, and that definitely caught Dina's attention.

"Did I sound evil right there?" she asked Dina sincerely. "I'm Nell. After I saw Don Boneyard, I decided to start laughing like him!"

Dina tried to smile encouragingly, but it ended up as a flustered grimace. _Why can't I meet any normal Fighters?_ she thought exasperatedly.

The announcer then declared the start of Dina's battle against Nell. The other girl wore a determined expression. "Now, Dina, I shall crush you in battle! Bwa ha ha ha!"

When the doors opened, Dina walked into her usual place on the battlefield. Nell immediately sent out her Vivosaurs – three Fire types, Sungari, Berto, and Yango.

"Well, I know who I'm sending out first," Dina muttered to herself. "But who else should I use... I got it!" She picked out three Dino Medals and hurled them toward the battlefield. They rapidly formed into Aeros, Tricera, and Krypto.

Surprisingly, Dina saw on her Fighter's Watch that Nell had the first attack. She chose Sungari without hesitation, commanding a Sungari Beam attack on Tricera. The pterosaur screeched, the sheer noise blending into a beam that struck Tricera, making him cringe from the painful sound.

When the sonics faded, Dina saw that Tricera had become enraged. _So she takes the Water type out of the fight by enraging it. Smart move._ Dina shook this thought away and yelled, "Aeros, Wind Blast on Sungari!"

Aeros blasted the pterosaur with his own beam, this one composed of gale-force winds. The force knocked Sungari straight out of the air, dealing great damage. However, it just got right back up, hovering on the spot. Although, "limping" would be a more accurate term in this case.

Nell wasn't discouraged at all, this time ordering Berto to use Thick Jaws. Berto crashed his mighty jaws down upon Krypto, causing him to flinch. But the attack did surprisingly little damage.

Dina decided to pay Berto back, ordering a Krypto Combo attack. Berto was clamped with Krypto's fangs, and then tackled with a full-body slam. It was a critical hit, instantly sending Berto into its Dino Medal.

Of course, commentator Trip Cera had something to say about that. "_And it's a one-hit KO on Berto! Dina's on a roll!_" The other commentator, Ty Ranno, agreed. "_Dina certainly is a formidable opponent, Trip,_" he remarked. "_After two amazing wins, I wouldn't be surprised if she pulled out another one._"

Dina herself smiled modestly at the praise she was getting. Then, she was back in the battle, shouting, "Tricera, use Running Smash on Yango!" No longer enraged, Tricera aimed straight and true, smashing his three horns into Yango's spiked flank.

Although Yango was dealt a lot of damage, Tricera was hurt by its spikes. _Auto Counter,_ thought Dina with a frustrated growl. _I've seen that before – Todd's Goyle had it, and that's part of the reason Radox fell so quickly._

Sungari was next to attack, hitting Tricera with another Sungari Beam. Again, Tricera became enraged, rendering him out of commission for now. Yango followed that up with a Spike Tail, bashing Aeros in the face and dealing a critical hit. But he held on strong, barely fazed.

Gritting her teeth, and even more frustrated, Dina commanded Krypto to use Krypto Fang on Sungari. The carnosaur leapt into the air, seized Sungari in his jaws, and flung it to the ground. With a final squawk, Sungari fell as well.

Nell stomped her foot and shrieked, "Yango, finish Tricera with Spike Tail!" It whipped its tail toward the injured and enraged Tricera, but out of nowhere, Aeros leapt in and protected his teammate.

"Good job, Aeros!" cried Dina, to which he winked merrily. "Now finish Yango with Tricera Combo, Tricera!"

Tricera obediently started forward with a grunt, accelerating across the battlefield. As Yango looked on helplessly, Tricera once again smashed his horned head into his flank, then performed an uppercut with his horns, tossing Yango into the air.

The poor stegosaur smashed into the ground with an impact that shook the Fossil Stadium. When the dust settled, a Dino Medal was left sitting in the middle of a crater.

Tricera gave a victory roar, to which Aeros and Krypto joined in. The crowd, which included Terry and Joe Wildwest, stood up and cheered. Once again, Dina was headed for the next round.

**Three Minutes Later**

"You did it again, Dina!" cheered Todd. "I think that was your fastest victory ever!" Dina just smiled, a little embarrassed with his enthusiasm. Todd suddenly became silent, shifting his feet awkwardly and blushing slightly.

Suddenly, Terry was there. "That was a smoking hot battle!" he said to Dina. "Congrats on clearing Round 3! Here's a prize, for making it this far."

Terry handed her a gigantic fossil rock. He explained that fossil rocks like this one were nearly impossible for one person to clean, so Time Plus items were very useful in these cases. Dina made a mental note to use the Time Plus Prize Pack that she had won in the first round.

"You know," said Todd almost idly. "A new dig site's opened – Rainbow Canyon." Before he could elaborate, Dina cut him off.

"It's been a long and busy day for me," she told him. "I'm going to head over to Ribular Island's campground to get some rest." With a wave of farewell, she headed for the heliport.

On the way there, Dina accidentally stumbled upon Rupert heading for the Caliosteo Museum, supposedly for a break from fossil digging. He was totally focused on his destination, and so didn't notice her until she was right next to him.

"Oh, hello, Dina," he greeted her. "That was... a nice Round 3 match. I look forward to seeing you in Round 4." He stalked off before Dina could even thank him. Somehow, that fact made her a little upset.

_Hmmm,_ Aeros suddenly piped up._ You never used to worry about such things. Do you..._ But Dina cut him off. "No, I do not!" she said forcefully, then continued toward the heliport, shaking her head.

**So there we have it – the start of the Todd-Dina-Rupert triangle I mentioned earlier.**

**Oh, and the BB Brigade is trying to ruin the Cup - for the second time! Remember, there was a previous Caliosteo Cup? But what about the person that Tony Bones referred to as "that new guy"?**

**And before you ask, I said "Lambeosauri" because it sounds better than "Lambeosauruses". But you have to admit, the breaking off of B-Lambeo parts is a pretty cool and somewhat gruesome touch.**

**See you for Chapter 6!**

**TRIVIA: Why does DI66-R have Allo, and not Tophis like in the game? You'll see the reason for this much later…**


	6. Attack of the BB Brigade!

**Yeah, couldn't think of a good title for this one.**

**I do like Hopter a lot, but I've never felt tempted to use him in the game because of his Berserker ability. In this story, though, I can use pretty much any Vivosaur I want without having to worry about such things :)**

**(Sorry for the long hiatus. I was quite busy over the winter holidays, and as I've stressed before, I have other fanfics to attend to.)**

Dina walked back out of the Fighter's Station and into the main square of Ribular Town, yawning loudly. She had her pickaxe slung over her shoulder, and she was tiredly carrying her fossil case, which had recently been emptied.

Previously, she had spent 10,000 G on an upgrade for her sonar, which now allowed her to find even more types of fossil rocks. She had spent a few hours at Treasure Lake and Jungle Labyrinth, obsessively excavating fossils to integrate into her Vivosaurs. She had been very successful, upgrading all of her team except for Radox.

"Alright," she murmured to no one in particular. "Now it's off to Cranial Isle to go digging in Rainbow Canyon." Aeros in particular was quite enthusiastic about this; the previous integration had put him in a very good mood.

Surprisingly, Dina ran, literally, into Todd. She had assumed that he had left for Rainbow Canyon already, and now he had just charged headlong into her, the resulting impact knocking them to the ground.

"Sorry about that!" chirped Todd, in a seemingly cheery mood as well. "I was so excited about digging with you in Rainbow Canyon, I wasn't looking where I was going!"

Dina rubbed the back of her head, where she had hit it when she fell down, and glared slightly. "You stayed behind to wait for me?" she asked, half-incredulously, half-sarcastically. Todd nodded rapidly, smiling all the while. His enthusiasm was infectious, and soon enough, Dina found herself grinning as well.

"C'mon already!" said Todd suddenly, gesturing her over to the heliport. Shrugging her shoulders, Dina followed him.

The helicopter landed only a minute after they informed the attendant that they wished to go to Cranial Isle. Stepping into the vehicle, their thoughts wandered to Rainbow Canyon and the exciting new adventures that undoubtedly awaited them.

**Upper Rainbow Canyon**

Rainbow Canyon was a deep ravine, with plenty of cliffs and caverns to dig in. Dina found the landscape was oddly beautiful, and spent a lot of time just gazing at the scenery.

"Hey, Dina. Whatcha looking at now?" asked Todd, turning back to his friend. They had been fossil digging for about ten minutes or so, but had only managed to find three or four fossils between them.

Now, Dina was peering at a figure in the near distance. Upon closer inspection, she saw it was a female Fighter, a few years older than they were. Looking even closer, Dina could see that she had a dog with her, and that the dog was excitedly digging up a fossil.

Todd finally saw what Dina was staring at. "Hey, that Fighter has a dog!" he exclaimed, stating the obvious. "We should go say hi!"

Dina thought that this was a pretty random decision, but in spite of herself, she was also quite curious about the newcomer. She nodded, a little thoughtfully, and she and Todd ran over to the girl.

"Hi!" said Todd cheerfully when they had reached her. The girl seemed startled at their sudden appearance, and muttered to herself. "My goodness, I am glad, no?" she said in a voice with a thick accent. "At ze moment, I was thinking… Ah, but no. It is nothing."

Her mood abruptly changed from frightened to friendly. "Bonjour, my name is Joanie! And zis is Madame Pooch. She is entered in ze Cup with me." Dina and Todd both introduced themselves, and she nodded in greeting, smiling all the while.

Suddenly, Joanie smacked herself in the forehead in an exasperated manner. "Sacre bleu!" she exclaimed. "I am forgetting, I have discovered here a thing which is being quite lovely!"

Joanie, to the confused audience of Dina and Todd, pulled out a big, round… thing… filled to the brim with fruit. "It is a lovely bowl, no?" she asked to no one in particular, her voice filled with adoration. "It is big and round, and I have made with ze filling it with fruit!"

Dina and Todd exchanged glances as Joanie continued to gaze at the bowl with love in her eyes. Todd twirled a finger around his ear in the universal sign for, _she's clearly crazy_. "She's a little… different," murmured Dina out of the corner of her mouth.

Madame Pooch, or whatever the mutt's name was, suddenly barked loudly to Joanie, causing her to stand up and put the bowl away. "Of course," she said. "We will be making ze exit now." Joanie turned to Dina and Todd and waved. "Adieu!" she called cheerfully, and walked deeper into Rainbow Canyon.

"I guess we should go too, huh?" asked Todd after a few seconds. Dina replied matter-of-factly, "Yep. We'll probably be more successful in our fossil digging if we head onwards from here."

She waited for Todd to answer, then turned and saw him just staring at her. _Not this again…_she thought with a mental eye roll. She snapped her fingers in Todd's face, causing him to start as if waking up from a dream. He blushed furiously when he realized what had happened.

"Wake up!" snapped Dina, a little harsher than she meant to. "Sorry," Todd mumbled. "Come on, let's keep digging."

**Cleaning Room**

Dina's fossil selection had turned out pretty rich - three Earth-type fossils, two Air-types, and two Water-types. Right now, she was busy cleaning and reviving, with the help of KL-33N.

"This is a Hopter (head) fossil rock – BEEP," droned KL-33N. "Commence revival!" The Revival Chamber's door slammed shut, and then a five-second flash of light occurred. Dina caught a brief glimpse of the Vivosaur's silhouette – it was enormous!

But before the door opened again, KL-33N asked, "Would you like to integrate the Hopter (body) and Hopter (arms) fossil rocks that you cleaned earlier?" He whirred quietly and twirled in anticipation.

"You bet!" Dina grinned. "The more powerful, the better." If KL-33N could have smiled, he would have now as he prepared to integrate the other two fossils that Dina had cleaned just before.

When the process was finished, the Revival Chamber opened, and out stepped Dina's newest Vivosaur. It was a huge pterosaur, with a white underbelly and massive black wings. Its beak was a bright red, and its eyes a glittering green. _A Haztegopteryx!_ thought Dina excitedly as it cocked its head to the side and regarded her inquisitively.

Soon, Hopter was in its Dino Medal, and safely in Dina's pocket with her other Vivosaurs. However, she had to substitute Nigo for Hopter, since she could only carry five Vivosaurs with her at a time.

"Good-bye for now, Nigo," she said quietly as she deposited him in the VMM, or Vivosaur Management Machine. _I'll see you around,_ he murmured in response.

The other fossils turned out to be body and arm fossils for Vivosaurs that KL-33N called Cerato and Ankylo. _I'll find their heads in Rainbow Canyon, I suppose,_ Dina thought as she thanked KL-33N and headed back out into Cranial City.

Todd was waiting for her at the entrance to Rainbow Canyon. "All set?" he asked cheerily. Dina nodded once and held up her new Dino Medal.

"I can't wait to try Hopter out," she replied with a grin. _Feelings mutual,_ chirped Hopter from the medal. Her grin grew wider.

As they walked on, deeper into the canyon, they crossed the long rope bridge that led to the more remote digging spots. Dina suddenly started – on the other side was Terry! _What's he doing here?_ she asked herself.

"Hey, it's Todd and Dina!" he called, waving them over with a hand. "You beatin' the heat and diggin' your digging?" He chuckled at his own joke.

After a brief pause, during which Dina and Todd reached him, he continued, "Rainbow Canyon is the premier dig site on Cranial Isle. The best part of it is excavating from the gondola!" He gestured to a contraption built into the side of a sheer cliff face. To Dina, it looked like it had been recently fixed.

"Yep," said Terry, reading the look in Dina's eyes. "I was just fixing a few of the cables holding it in place. We don't what Fighters plummeting to the bottom of the canyon, now do we?"

Dina chuckled along with Terry, until she realized that Todd had gone pale. "It's completely fine, Todd," she said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He wouldn't allow us to go if it wasn't safe." Todd slowly relaxed.

Terry began to explain how to dig fossils from the gondola – apparently, you just hung over the side and dug from the canyon walls. Dina felt just a tiny bit nervous when he said this, but silently reassured herself with the same words that she had just uttered to Todd.

"So that's the gondola in a nutshell," finished Terry. "There's also another area at the bottom for additional digging. Now, I've got some more repairs to do around Rainbow Canyon, so I'll see the two of you later." With a jaunty salute, he was off.

Dina waited until he had disappeared around the corner, then took a deep breath and let it out fast. "So, Todd," she said. "Shall we get to digging from the gondola?"

Todd was shivering again. "N-no thanks," he stuttered. "Could we g-go to the bottom to do our d-digging? Please?"

Dina sighed. "Sure thing," she replied. "But remember, we have to use the gondola to get back up as well."

Soon, the two of them were safely in the gondola. Todd sat on the floor, pulling his legs up to his chest and fearfully clutching them. Dina, slowly and cautiously, was pulling the gondola down inch by inch, leading them to the bottom of the canyon.

It took them about ten minutes to reach the canyon floor. By this time, Dina's hands had been rubbed raw from pulling on the ropes that held the gondola in place. Getting out of the gondola, she breathed a sigh of exhaustion. "Next time, Todd," she gasped, "you're doing the pulling."

But Todd wasn't paying any attention to her. "Dina," he whispered instead. "Look over there." Dina looked, and what she saw interested her.

There was no one in the gorge but a single girl. She had pink-and-yellow hair, and had a very thin body frame. After a moment of thought, Dina realized that it was none other than Pauleen!

But something wasn't right. Pauleen wasn't wearing her mask, allowing her face to go uncovered. She had surprisingly big, startling blue eyes and a rather cute face. Dina looked at Todd, but he paid her no heed – he was busy examining Pauleen closely, as if he had never seen her before.

"Where did it go, digadig?" Pauleen asked herself. "Without it, I…" Her voice trailed off and she continued to look along the ground – it did indeed look like she was searching for something. "Hmm, I know it diga-dropped somewhere around here…" she continued to mutter.

Dina was about to say something, but was cut off by Todd. "Do you see that, Dina?" he asked, an undercurrent of excitement that grew in his voice with every word. "That girl is so cute!" There was a blush on his cheeks that rivaled any blush that Todd had ever acquired from Dina.

"Come on! We should help her search for whatever she's looking for!" Todd looked very pleased with his idea, and almost tripped over his own feet rushing to the task.

Needless to say, Dina was a little confounded by this new behavior. Todd had never acted like that around her before, and she was positive that Todd liked her at least a little bit. _I guess now he likes Pauleen a lot more,_ she mused, chuckling to herself. _I might as well help him, so he doesn't make a total fool of himself._

By now, Todd had almost reached Pauleen, and she hadn't noticed him yet. When Dina, in turn, reached the two of them, he was saying, "…you having trouble? 'Cause I can totally help."

Pauleen shrieked at the sound of his voice and hurriedly streaked off behind a boulder. She cautiously peeked out from behind it, seemingly both curious and frightened.

"Whoa, wait!" Todd exclaimed, a little bit startled himself. "I didn't mean to scare you! I didn't expect to see someone as pretty as you walking around Rainbow Canyon…" He went on a bit more, stumbling over his words quite a few times and making Dina snicker from the sidelines.

Finally, Pauleen chose that moment to come slinking out from behind her rock. "Can you… help me, digadig?" she asked cautiously. Todd nodded with such enthusiasm that his hat fell off. There was more snickering from Dina, which he finally noticed and responded to with a heated glare.

"I lost something very important," Pauleen murmured timidly. "It is big, round, and helps to protect me, digadig. Please help me, diga."

Todd wore a broad, confident smile on his face. "Of course! You just wait here and we'll retrieve it for you!" He abruptly turned to Dina and said sharply, "Come on, Dina! We need to help her!"

Rolling her eyes, Dina followed him, now tearing off like a little green rocket for the gondola. _Big and round…_ she thought to herself. _The object is big and rou - Hey! That sounds a bit like that bowl that Joanie had!_

Hurriedly climbing into the gondola after Todd, who had indeed began to pull at the ropes to make it rise, she relayed to him her epiphany.

"Joanie's bowl, huh?" he mused. "Alright, we'll just have to find her and ask for it back. How hard can that be?" Dina, and Aeros for once, agreed that this should be an easy task.

But something nagged at the back of Dina's mind. _Something tells me that this little scavenger hunt won't go so smoothly…_

**Upper Rainbow Canyon**

"A bowl zis big, it is rare, no?" Joanie asked Madame Pooch, to which the dog barked her agreement. "I can fit so many things inside it! Like cheese, or ze baguette."

It was at that time that Dina and Todd reached the two of them. "Wait! Waaaaaaait!" called Todd, and Joanie looked over at them.

"Ah, it is Todd and Dina. You are well, no?" Joanie asked politely. Dina stepped forward and said seriously, "Look, Joanie, about that bowl…" She went on to explain that Pauleen had lost it originally.

"Escargot!" Joanie exclaimed, shocked. "The owner of ze bowl, she is missing it?! Ah, 'tis a shame, no?" Here her voice turned sad and she hung her head.. "We have grown so attached to ze bowl, you see?"

Madame Pooch suddenly turned to Joanie. "ARF, ARF, ARF!" she barked insistently. After a moment or two, Joanie responded. "Ah, I see. So zat is what we will do."

Looking back at Dina and Todd, Joanie told them, "We want to make ze Fossil Battle with you. If you defeat Madame Pooch, we will give you ze bowl – but she will only battle with Dina."

Dina herself was very confused. "You want us to battle your dog?" she asked with more than a hint of sarcasm. Joanie laughed cheerfully. "I have not said zis correctly; you will make ze Fossil Battle with me, Joanie."

Todd just shrugged. "Look, lady. We just want the bowl." Then he turned to Dina and said encouragingly, "Do your thing, Dina."

Hand already clutching three of her Dino Medals, Dina took a determined step forward. "You can bet on it," she said, looking straight ahead at Joanie and Madame Pooch.

Joanie looked positively delighted. "Let us make with ze battling of fossils!" she exclaimed, before throwing out three of her own Vivosaurs. They exploded out of their medals as Peloro, Machai, and Tryma - two Fire-types and an Earth-type.

With a satisfied smirk, Dina threw out Aeros, Tricera, and her new Hopter. "Hopter, do your best to work with Aeros and Tricera!" Dina called out to him, and he nodded and, hilariously, gave her a thumbs-up.

What was odd about Hopter's battle stance, however, was the fact that it didn't hover like the few other pterosaurs she had seen. Instead, it crouched on the ground, looking very comfortable with solid earth under its talons. _Oh, that's right,_ Dina realized, remembering something from her extensive natural history reading sessions. _Hopter can't fly. Or at least, he isn't good at it._

Joanie had the first move, commanding Peloro to use a powerful Peloro Combo. The bull-like Vivosaur grunted, then ran at Aeros with its head lowered. It smashed into Aeros, then delivered an uppercut with its long horns. Aeros took an involuntary step backwards at the two blows, but was otherwise unfazed.

Considering her options and potential targets, Dina decided to have Tricera attack with Running Smash. Peloro was sent flying from the blow, this time on the receiving end of its enemies' horns. However, it got back up, wincing a little.

Aeros was next up – Dina had just enough FP to squeeze in a Wind Blast. Machai took the hit, receiving critical damage and instantly retreating into its Dino Medal.

Now Joanie had a ton of FP to use up. She commanded Tryma to use Raptor Combo, and the bird slashed at Hopter with both its talons and beak. Then Peloro used Peloro Combo yet again, dealing significant damage to Hopter. But the sturdy pterosaur hung on strongly.

"Hopter, use Beak Stab!" Dina cried. Hopter let out a caw, then ran full force at Tryma. His long, pointy beak, with dust and earth swirling around it, connected with its target. Tryma weakly recovered from the blow, down to its last few LP. Its Parting Blow ability activated, making it glow with a deadly orange light.

Joanie yelled, "Tryma, use Raptor Kick!" The bird-like Vivosaur lashed out with a talon at Tricera, taking out half of its LP! Peloro followed that up with Peloro Horn, which dealt a bit of damage. It was nothing compared to the beating that Tryma had given Tricera, however.

Dina gritted her teeth. She needed to take out Tryma now, or else her entire team would be at risk.

"Aeros, finish Tryma with Wind Blast!" The carnivore obliged, sending a column of wind at Tryma. It connected with hurricane force, blasting Tryma right back into its Dino Medal.

All of a sudden, Hopter's eyes began to glow an unhealthy red, and it screeched in fury. _Oh, damn!_ thought Dina in frustration. _Hopter's Berserker ability has activated, probably from the earlier attacks from Tryma and Peloro!_ Now she knew that Hopter would not listen to anything that she said to it.

Joanie smiled confidently at the sight, knowing that victory would be a little easier to win with Hopter out of commission. "Peloro, use Peloro Combo and take down Tricera!"

Peloro ran at Tricera, who despite his advantageous typing, was most likely going down after this next attack. But then something odd happened. Hopter caught sight of the speeding bull and instinctively thought that Peloro was going for him. A harsh shriek cut through the air as he charged forward with a Beak Stab attack.

Hopter's beak struck Peloro just as the latter was about to reach Tricera. It went flying, hitting the ground with a thud and reverting back to a Dino Medal.

With each of their own victorious roars, Dina's three Vivosaurs retreated back into their medals as well. Dina picked them up, looking at Hopter's for a second before putting them back into her pocket. _I got lucky that time with Hopter,_ she thought grimly. _It most likely won't happen again – I have to be careful not to let the Berserker ability activate again._

"Our Vivosaurs, zey have lost!" Joanie cried, somewhat overdramatically. "Do not be cross, Madame Pooch. It was bad luck, no?"

Todd fired up. "It was not bad luck!" he shouted, placing a protective hand on Dina's shoulder. "Dina was skilled enough to beat you, and that's all there is to it!" Dina was a little embarrassed with Todd's defense. Although, she had to admit that she was grateful for his loyalty.

Joanie sighed. "Well, you have defeated us, so we shall return ze bowl." She handed the strange bowl to Dina, taking the produce back out of it. She then left with a cheery "Adieu!"

Todd stared after her and Madame Pooch curiously. "That's weird," he commented. "It's like she was talking with her dog or something." Dina simply shrugged and suggested, "We've got Pau - *ahem* - the girl's bowl back, so why don't we return it?"

For some reason, Dina was hesitant at the idea of revealing Pauleen's identity to Todd just yet. _I want to see him discover it for himself,_ she silently thought, to which her Vivosaurs agreed with varying degrees of reluctance.

A wide grin spread across Todd's face at the mention of "the girl". "She's got to be thankful, right?" he said to no one in particular. "Maybe she'll even like me!" His grin grew slightly wider, and Dina took an involuntary step away from him.

As they walked back to the gondola, Dina said to herself, _At least he's stopped paying attention to me. Maybe it'll stay that way._

Suddenly, there was an urgent ringing from Dina's pocket. She pulled out her Paleopager and turned it on. It didn't hold good news:

"_This is an alert for all Fighters. The BB Brigade has begun kidnapping Fighters from Rainbow Canyon. As of now, they appear to be targeting young females. Female Fighters in Rainbow Canyon are urged to seek shelter immediately._"

Dina, who was, strangely, relatively unconcerned, said idly, "I hope they realize that 'seek shelter immediately' is code for 'run as fast as your little legs can carry you away from Rainbow Canyon'?"

It was as if her anger for the BB Brigade was fueling her sarcastic sense of humor. _How DARE they?_ she seethed. _How low can they stoop?_

Todd was significantly more worried than Dina was, needless to say. "Joanie's got her dog," he began, "so she's probably fine. But that cute girl could be in real danger! Come on, let's get back and find her!"

Ordinarily, Dina would dismiss this worry, but she thought that Todd was actually making sense in this case. "You're right," she said. "We need to find her and make sure that she's all right."

With that said and done, they raced the rest of the way to the gondola, breath exploding from their lungs and feet pounding on the rocky ground, desperate to save Pauleen.

**Yep, now Todd's in love with Pauleen. At least now Dina can breathe a little easier and concentrate on Rupert without worry XD**

**Whoops, sorry to spoil that, but hey, I bet you all saw it coming anyway.**

**Stay tuned for Chapter 7!**

**TRIVIA: Haztegopteryx (Hopter) is known to belong to a group of pterosaurs called azhdarchids. They're a specialized group designed for ground living, like a stork or caracara. Some grew as tall as T-Rex. How's that for a Cretaceous turkey dinner, huh?**


	7. Hopter Goes Berserk

**It's kind of obvious as to what this chapter involves.**

**Not to mention that we get to see one of my crazy twists in this chapter. I'm not going to spoil it, though!**

**I also just want to mention that I'm focusing almost entirely on this story now, and ignoring "Pokemon Trainer's School" for now. I mean, hey, I don't think anybody's reading the aforementioned fanfic anyway.**

**Long story short, I'm going to be publishing chapters a lot quicker now.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Dina bolted for the gondola, hot on the heels of Todd, who was even more desperate to reach it than she was. Everything ran through her head at once – Todd developing a huge crush on Pauleen, the battle with Joanie for Pauleen's bowl, and the recent discovery that the BB Brigade was kidnapping young girl Fighters, right here in Rainbow Canyon.

Climbing rapidly into the wooden basket, Dina and Todd began to frantically (but carefully) pull on the ropes holding the gondola in place, causing it to sink lower into the canyon. Dina hoped that Pauleen was all right, and that they wouldn't be too late.

After what seemed like forever, they reached the bottom of the gorge. They didn't even bother sinking the last couple of feet – they just jumped down, landing on their hands and knees.

"Hey!" called Todd, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Anyone there? …Hello?" Dina looked around the area – it was quiet. Almost too quiet.

Suddenly, there was a scream. "H-help me, digadig!" Dina snapped her head towards the sound. It was Pauleen!

Todd, closely followed by Dina, ran towards the site of Pauleen's cry. Rounding a corner, they came out from behind a huge boulder to see a shocking sight – they were too late, for a couple of BB Brigade goons had already gotten their hands on Pauleen!

"Dang it!" said one. "Meddlers!" His companion piled on, "Let's get out of here!" Soon, they had hauled Pauleen up into their own makeshift gondola and taken her to the top of the canyon.

"Come on, Dina! We can't let them get away!" Todd shouted, face becoming bright crimson with anger. Indeed, he was angrier than Dina had ever seen him. Already, he was sprinting for their own gondola. Dina managed to catch up to him and climb in just as he began to pull the gondola upwards, after the BB Brigade.

The BareBones Brigade members were strong, but Dina and Todd had acquired strength born of desperation. Amazingly, they soon became neck and neck with the other gondola.

One gave an idle glance to the side and saw the two friends giving chase. "Damn, those two are fast!" he said, smacking his head. The other one kept calm and stated, "Don't worry. We've still got Plan B."

Dina overheard their conversation, but before she could even ask herself what "Plan B" was, both lackeys put their fingers in their mouths and gave piercing whistles. The high-pitched sounds echoed again and again off of the walls of the canyon and caused a shiver to run up Dina's spine.

She realized too late that the whistles were a signal of some kind. Out of the blue, there was a shriek and a blur of motion from up above. Then, one of the gondola ropes suddenly ripped in two.

Todd yelled and Dina screamed in fear and shock as the gondola suddenly dipped to one side, causing them to fall out. At the last minute, Dina's hand shot out and grabbed the wooden edge of the gondola, and she snatched Todd's shirt with her other hand as he fell past her. Now they were dangling at least 80 feet above the ground, with nothing but a single rope to support them.

The BB Brigade goons soon disappeared completely. Dina involuntarily looked off into the distance and saw a flying creature flapping farther away into the sky. Was it a bird? A Vivosaur? Dina couldn't tell. _But one thing's for sure,_ she seethed. _It cut the rope when the two crooks signaled it. Oh, the BareBones Brigade will pay dearly for this._

The gondola suddenly lowered a few inches as the remaining rope began to come loose. "Wh-what do we do now, Dina?" asked Todd, scared out of his mind. As the gondola dropped another inch or two, Dina murmured, "I – I don't know." Then the rope came completely loose, sending Dina and Todd plummeting to their deaths.

As they fell, with the wind whistling past them, one of Dina's Dino Medals suddenly dropped out of her pocket. She cried out at the sight and made a move to grab it. But it slipped through her fingers, and a second later, there was a massive burst of light as Hopter appeared.

Dina and Todd landed safely on his back as he frantically flapped, trying to keep them airborne. But, as Dina noted before, Hopter wasn't the best at flying. His strength suddenly gave out, and they began to fall again.

Luckily, though, Hopter had caused enough of a delay that they didn't become crushed as they slammed into the ground. They merely fell the remaining ten feet and hit the rocky earth hard.

Dina got up, rubbing her aching back. She and Todd were battered and bruised, and in total shock from their harrowing experience, but at least they were alive.

"Thanks, Hopter," said Dina to her Vivosaur. "You saved us just in time." Hopter gave her a modest flick of his wings. _It was nothing, really,_ he said.

Todd frowned. "I'm glad we're alive and all," he began, "but how are we going to get back up to the top?" Dina looked up at the top of the cliff – she had to crane her neck all the way up in order to catch a glimpse.

_Climb aboard,_ Hopter suddenly spoke up, crouching down so the two could access his back. Dina and Todd obligingly clambered onto him, but Dina was hesitant. "How can you get us to the top if you aren't good at flying?" she asked him.

Hopter smiled knowingly. _Just watch,_ he said cryptically, before taking off at a gallop straight for the canyon wall. Just before they would have smashed into it, Hopter jumped with all of his might and latched onto the wall with his strong talons.

More rapidly than Dina could ever imagine, Hopter scuttled up the cliff like an immense crab. Before she even knew it, Hopter was pulling himself up over the edge, coming to rest a safe distance away from it.

"Wow, that was awesome!" said Todd, his usual cheery attitude restored. The pterosaur shuffled his talons in an embarrassed way. _I'm always here if you need me,_ he told Dina, before returning to his Dino Medal. Dina picked it up and said quietly, "I know."

Suddenly, Dina cocked her head to the side, causing her hair to droop downwards. She could hear footsteps, getting closer by the second. As if to confirm this, Todd looked in the direction of the sound and paled. "It's the BareBones Brigade!" he cried. "Hide!"

Dina and Todd both crouched behind some spare crates nearby and watched silently as two lackeys walked up to what looked like an abandoned mine shaft. Weirdly, one of them was carrying a bowl of fruit.

"Whew!" he exclaimed exhaustedly, setting the bowl down. "Fruit's heavier than I thought! And it doesn't help that I've dragged this around for about a mile…" The other one scolded him, hissing, "Quit your griping! Those girls are waiting."

The goon pushed a rather obvious yellow button near the blocked entrance to the mine shaft, and a hidden door moved aside. The two of them disappeared into the dark tunnel beyond, with the second one pressing the button and quickly entering before the door shut again.

"Well, now we know where they're hiding," said Todd in a whisper, even though there was no one else around. "Let's go check it out!" Dina got up and stretched her aching muscles, then ran over to the door.

There was a sign taped over the button, which said "WARNING: Do Not Press!" Dina rolled her eyes. "Maybe be more obvious next time," she muttered to herself, before tearing the sign off and jabbing her finger onto the button.

Todd gulped and crouched behind her as the door swung open with a loud creak. "Come on, Todd," Dina encouraged him. "Don't get scared now. Pau - *ahem*. That girl's depending on you."

Before her eyes, Todd seemed to get braver. He drew in a deep breath through his nose and let it out through his mouth. "You're right, Dina," he said quietly but with determination. "Let's go!" The pair then dashed off into the perpetual darkness.

-.-.-.-.-.

**BareBones Grotto**

The tunnel was long, narrow, and pitch-dark. Dina, although ordinarily not scared of the dark, suppressed an involuntary shiver. The flutter of wings reached her ears, along with the squeaking of numerous bats on the ceiling. She wasn't scared of bats either – she found them quite cute – but nevertheless, their squeaking added to the spookiness of the tunnel.

Finally, a dim light could be seen from deeper in the tunnel. Dina's eyes automatically clamped shut as the brightness got more intense. Soon, she could see again, and what she saw astounded her.

They were in a large, spacious cavern, with a ceiling at least fifteen feet above them. Although there were plenty of rocks to take cover behind, it was still likely that any BB Brigade member who looked hard enough would be able to spot them.

This wasn't on Dina's mind, though. She was focused on the scene before her. There were at least five Fighters situated on various tables and chairs, with a bunch of BB lackeys running around.

"Holy crow!" exclaimed Todd, giving voice to Dina's thoughts. "Look at all the kidnapped girls!" Dina barely heard him, so concentrated was she on looking for one individual. After a second or two, she spotted Pauleen amongst the other Fighters. _I just have to wait until she leaves,_ she thought, keeping even her thoughts quiet.

Obligingly, Pauleen did leave, walking over to a corner of the cavern that was less occupied. Instantly, Todd spotted her and ran stealthily over. Dina followed, making substantially less noise than he.

"Are you OK?" asked Todd the second they had reached Pauleen. "I'm OK," she replied with a shy nod. "They haven't diga-done anything to me."

Todd let out an exaggerated breath of relief, but Pauleen interrupted him before he could say anything. "Those BareBones goons are just glorified servants, diga," she said, sounding perplexed. "They've been pampering us diga-day and night. The other girls love it – they even say that they don't care about the Caliosteo Cup anymore."

Dina gasped so loud that Pauleen gave the BB Brigade a fearful look, afraid that they would hear. "They're being nice to girls to make them lose interest in the Cup?" asked Dina more quietly. When Pauleen nodded, she continued, "That's absolutely diabolical!"

Now it was Todd's turn to look perplexed. "Why only girls?" he asked. Dina had to admit that he had a very good point. _Why only girls?_ she repeated to herself. _Whatever the reason, I doubt it's good,_ commented Aeros in his usual worried way.

Shaking her head to clear off these distracting questions, Dina asked Pauleen, "Have you learned anything from your time here? If you know who's in charge, we can knock him or her out and chase away the rest of the BB Brigade."

Pauleen looked hesitant. She didn't say anything until Todd gave her a desperate look. Then she said cautiously, "I think the guy in the back is the boss, digadig. I hear that he's actually a BB Brigade commander… Everyone here, including the goons, is terrified of him!"

Todd had a thoughtful expression on his face. "A commander, huh? I guess it makes sense that the others would be afraid of him." Then he went a little pale and continued, more nervously, "But we're not sc-scared! N-no sir! Especially n-not me!" He gulped and rearranged his face into a somewhat confident one.

"Let's move, Dina!" he said, clearly trying to keep his initial fear down. He raced off into the darkness of a corner of the cavern, which looked like it branched off into another cave.

When Dina followed him, he was already calling out, "H-hey! Show yourself! Come on out, and we'll show you what happens to someone who kidnaps girls and… well… treats them really well!" Dina groaned, although a little less than she usually did. For Todd, that was an impressive display of bravery.

Then a voice emanated from the shadowy back of the cave, and Todd flinched noticeably. "I do believe that you are referring to me, aren't you?"

The person whom the voice belonged to looked about sixteen or seventeen years old. He wore an array of clothes and accessories that positively unnerved Dina. Who, indeed, had a fashion sense that bad?

"You have the courage to come in here and face me, the most revered of the BB Brigade commanders," he smirked, and struck what he apparently thought was a good pose. "My name is Cole. …Yep, pretty slick, huh? Do you like the glasses? That post-modern look is so right now, don't you think?"

Dina and Todd didn't say anything as Cole rambled on. "Anyway, try not to be jealous of my image, if you can. It's thrift-store chic, so I highly doubt that you would understand."

Todd now had a sour look on his face. "Ugh! He's a _hipster_!" he exclaimed in disgust. "Now I see why everyone's scared of him," Dina agreed, trying not to laugh.

Cole, for one, didn't look amused. "I suppose you want us to stop pampering the ladies, huh?" he said sharply. "Not going to happen, bro. You see, with the girls losing their interest in the Cup, all of the guys won't have anyone to impress, see? All the fight will go out of them, and there goes the Caliosteo Cup!"

Dina admitted, "That does have a certain unethical cleverness to it." Cole gave her another smirk. "Pretty slick, eh? I have a real mind for plans – you don't get this good-looking by accident, you know?"

His mood suddenly became wrathful, although he still possessed that smug air about him. "Why don't you two shake a leg and scram, huh? Or else I'll have to feed you to my Boneysaurs."

It was Dina's turn to smirk. "How are you going to do that?" she asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Boneysaurs don't have a digestive system."

Cole rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You're just as bad as that new guy who joined us," he almost whined. "Always picking at the holes in my threats."

Todd didn't pay any attention to this, instead turning to Dina with a worried look on his face. "Boneysaurs? What are those?" Sighing, Dina explained as briefly as she could what Boneysaurs were.

Now Todd was frightened. "You mean like a skeletal Vivosaur?" he whimpered. "A dinosaur gh-gh-ghost?!" He suddenly moaned and held his stomach.

"Oooooooohh! My stomach!" he gasped. "Why did I eat those oysters I found in the swimming pool? Ugh, this guy's all yours, Dina!" Without another word, he hobbled off behind a rock and stayed there.

Cole had one eyebrow raised skeptically. "…So, still here?" he said to Dina. "You aren't just trying to steal my style, are you? Whatever the case, feast your eyes on my beautiful Boneysaurs!"

Tossing out three Dino Medals with a dramatic flair, Cole smiled wickedly as his Boneysaurs appeared with individual flashes of light. The first was B-Lambeo, the same Boneysaur that Dina had fought in her previous battle against the BB Brigade.

The second was B-Rex, a gargantuan tyrannosaur whose bones took on a pale yellow hue. It emitted a scratchy, clacking roar that caused Dina's own bones to tremble.

The last was B-Plesio. It looked nothing like any other Vivosaur that Dina had seen before, with four flippers instead of legs, and a long neck and small head. Its deep, ocean-blue bones shone in the dim light, and its eyes glowed with an unhealthy, malicious yellow light. At the sight of its opponent, it screeched a horrible sound that grated on Dina's ears.

"OK, then," she said to her own Vivosaurs. "Demolish them, Aeros, Hopter, and Tricera!" Her three Vivosaurs took their shapes on the battlefield, and gave challenging roars that would have made even the bravest Fighter quake in their boots.

But Cole wasn't just a Fighter – he was an elite member of the BB Brigade. He made a quick decision, then ordered B-Plesio to start off with Boney Blur. It slithered across the cave towards Tricera, bashing against his flank. Only minor damage was sustained as Tricera grunted, then stepped back into position.

Dina called out, "Aeros, use Wind Blast on B-Plesio!" Aeros obligingly sent a blast of wind roaring across the battlefield, which smashed into the fragile Boneysaur. But B-Plesio was surprisingly resilient for a Boneysaur, and merely hissed in pain.

Cole told his B-Rex to use Boney Roar, and the resulting shockwave swept across the battlefield. All three of Dina's Vivosaurs were hurt; Hopter got hit the hardest. Still, he shrugged the impact off relatively easily.

Dina decided to go for revenge – she told Hopter to use Rock Wing on B-Rex. Flying into the air, Hopter furiously flapped his wings, throwing up a sandstorm that slammed into B-Rex. It was a surprisingly powerful attack, as one of the Boneysaur's tiny arms snapped off from the high-pressure wind.

Deciding to use her remaining FP on one more attack, Dina commanded Aeros to use another Wind Blast, this time on B-Rex. Once again, B-Rex was slammed hard by the attack, losing its other arm as well as a rib bone.

Scratching his head, most likely wondering what to do next, Cole suddenly said, "B-Plesio, use B-Plesio Poison on Hopter!" The Boneysaur gladly obliged, shooting forward while spinning like a drill. A critical hit occurred, throwing Hopter back a significant distance. He became poisoned almost instantly – Dina could see from how he slouched weakly in his battle position.

"Tricera, pay B-Plesio back with Running Smash!" The blue Vivosaur crashed his horned head into B-Plesio, breaking several of its bones off. When B-Plesio recovered from the initial shock, it looked vastly different than when it started the battle. Many of its bones were either damaged or missing, leaving its skeletal structure in bad shape.

Cole didn't take kindly to the condition of his most prized Boneysaur. "B-Lambeo, use Boney Chomp to get rid of Tricera!" The beast lumbered towards Tricera, then let loose with a powerful hip check. Tricera managed to hang on, but now only had a sliver of LP left. His Parting Blow ability activated as a result, with his body now shining orange.

"Running Smash again," cried Dina triumphantly, "this time on B-Rex!" The huge Boneysaur staggered from the impact of Tricera's horns striking it. Its skeleton scattered all over the place, and its eyes flickered out inside of its skull. An instant later, B-Rex had become a Dino Medal again.

When Dina ended her turn in order to save up some FP for later, she saw Hopter suddenly crumple to the ground, body shaking madly as the poison began to have a worse effect on him. In a moment, he had recovered completely, but a good-sized bite of his LP had been taken out. _I'm fine, Dina,_ he reassured her, a little shakily. _Just concentrate on Cole._

Nodding determinedly, Dina saw Cole order a double assault from his other two Boneysaurs. B-Plesio used B-Plesio Poison again, hitting Tricera with full force. Tricera reared onto his hind legs, then fell backwards onto his back, slowly reverting into a Dino Medal again.

_I've been on the losing end of battles lately,_ he said, unconcerned. Dina bit back a laugh, then said, "I know, but you'll win eventually."

Cole was smirking again. "Now we're even, sister," he said confidently. "Can your other two Vivosaurs possibly defeat mine?" Dina returned his smirk, responding, "Let's find out, huh?"

It was Dina's turn for a double assault. "Hopter, use Rock Wing on B-Lambeo!" she yelled out. "And Aeros, give B-Plesio an Aeros Alert!" Both Vivosaurs sprang into action – Aeros whipped B-Plesio with his tail, then brought his jaws together with a loud *crack*, and Hopter whipped up another sandstorm, which hit B-Lambeo and made it slide backwards a few feet.

B-Plesio couldn't take the last hit. Aeros's teeth crunched through its skeleton, and it fell apart. With a final screech, B-Plesio vanished and retreated into its Dino Medal.

Now it was two on one – Aeros and Hopter versus B-Lambeo, which was still in pretty good shape. Cole, furious from the loss of B-Plesio, shouted, "B-Lamb Combo, B-Lambeo! Show Hopter who's boss!"

The titanic hadrosaur lumbered forward once more, this time at Hopter. At the last second, it gave him a full-body tackle that sent him skidding across the ground. But B-Lambeo wasn't done – he stomped back up to Hopter, raised a boney fist, and brought it down onto the pterosaur's exposed stomach.

A pained shriek ripped from Hopter's throat, making both Dina and Cole wince. Staggering to its feet, Hopter's eyes glowed an angry red as its Berserker ability activated. Incredibly, B-Lambeo's ominous purple eyes showed a slight bit of fear as it saw Hopter become massively enraged.

"Aeros, give B-Lambeo another one of your Wind Blasts!" Aeros delightfully replied with a huge blast of power, hitting B-Lambeo with the force of a hurricane. However, B-Lambeo was the most resilient of Cole's Boneysaurs, and it hung on strong.

With enough FP left over, Cole ordered another B-Lamb Combo. Aeros took both hits, collapsed, and became a Dino Medal. Now the only hope Dina had was a Berserk Hopter with less than half its LP left.

"You can do it, Hopter!" Dina screamed, trying to get through to it. "Use Beak Stab!" But Hopter didn't listen, instead clawing at its face in a maddened frenzy.

"Looks like you're out of luck, bro," Cole snickered. "Why don't I be merciful and put Hopter out of its misery?" That hint was apparently enough for B-Lambeo, which lunged forward with a Boney Chomp attack.

The hip check definitely hurt Hopter, but he still survived with a good chunk of LP left over. But that didn't do anything to change his condition, as he was still under the thrall of his Berserker ability.

"Come on, Hopter!" Dina screeched, desperate now. "Come to your senses!" She could faintly hear her other Vivosaurs calling out as well, but she didn't pay any attention to them. She could feel tears stinging her eyes as she frantically willed Hopter to snap out of his rage.

Then a sight met Dina's eyes, making her wonder if her tears were causing her to see things that weren't there. Miraculously, the red glow in Hopter's eyes was fading as he became less angry. He had heard Dina's desperate cry, and was forgetting his Berserk condition as he realized that she needed him.

He lunged forward, pouncing on B-Lambeo. Before the startled Boneysaur could react, Hopter used a Beak Stab attack, plunging his sharp bill deep into B-Lambeo's skull. Immediately, B-Lambeo faded from view, making Hopter plunge comically to the ground. Now, the only sign of the Boneysaur ever being there was a single Dino Medal on the ground.

"What?! N-no! This isn't happening!" cried Cole, looking beyond frightened. "How could I be beaten by someone so terminally unhip? This is worse then the time that guy sold me off-brand shoes! Waaaaah!" And with that, he ran out of the grotto, sobbing.

"Way to go, Dina!" came Todd's shout. He rushed towards her in a green blur, false stomachache forgotten. "That hipster just ran off bawling his little eyes out, and the rest of the BareBones Brigade took off after him!"

Dina laughed delightedly. After narrowly defeating Cole, she felt on top of the world. And it was all thanks to Hopter, who still stood there watching them.

_Don't thank me,_ he said, reading her mind. _It was you who encouraged me to remember who I was, and who gave me the strength to shake off my rage. Whenever you need help, I will be there._

Dina's eyes filled with tears – happy ones, this time. _And the rest of us!_ Aeros continued where Hopter had left off. There were encouraging roars from her other Vivosaurs. Dina said emotionally, "You guys are the best."

When Hopter went back into his medallion, Todd commented, "I think all of the girls will leave when they realize that no one's going to pamper them any more."

Sure enough, they did.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Upper Rainbow Canyon**

Dina, Todd, and Pauleen all stood outside, out of the grotto where the air was stale. They were rejoicing in the fact that the BB Brigade had been defeated once again.

"Thank you, Todd. Thank you, Dina," said Pauleen shyly. "Now I can keep going in the Cup, digadig." Todd drew his leg back in embarrassment. "You don't need to thank us! We were happy to help."

Todd suddenly smacked a hand to his forehead. "Oh, that's right!" he exclaimed. "We also found that bowl you were looking for." He handed it to her, and she looked positively overjoyed to see it again.

"Th-thank you, diga!" Pauleen cried happily. "But this isn't a bowl. It's a mask, digadig." Todd went pale. "A m-m-mask?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yep," confirmed Pauleen with a smile. "It goes like this…" She tossed the object up, letting it spin into the air. Then it landed with a *plop*, right onto her face.

Now Todd paled even further until his face was completely white. "Y-y-you…" he stuttered, falling to the ground in utter shock. "You were Pauleen all along!" Dina couldn't help it; she started laughing until her sides ached.

Pauleen drew herself up proudly. "I sure was!" she decreed. "The one and only Pauleen! So what the heck took you two so long, huh?"

Dina raised a hand, but it took her a second to halt her giggles enough for her to talk. "In my defense, I noticed a while ago, but I didn't want to say anything in front of Todd…" Then she doubled over again.

"Anyway…" Pauleen continued, apparently eager to keep the conversation going. But before she could get another word out, Terry was suddenly jogging up to them. "Well, well!" he said. "Looks like you're the big heroes once more! I can't believe you ran out the BB Brigade all by yourselves!"

Pauleen took that opportunity to step forwards. "Pffft! The BareBones Brigade is no match for a beautiful teen idol like me!" Todd stepped forward, growling, "Actually, Dina did all the work. Give her some credit, why don't you?"

Dina sighed. "Todd, just leave it be…" she began, but was cut off by Terry. "Uh, yeah," he said awkwardly. "Well, thanks anyway. Now we can get the Cup going without any further delay. Keep an eye on your Paleopagers, we'll have Round 4 info coming soon." And with that, he walked off.

"Well, unlike SOME people," Pauleen started, looking very obviously at Todd. "I don't have time to waste. I need to find more fossil rocks ASAP. You should do the same, Dina!" She suddenly turned her focus to Dina. "Thumping the BB Brigade means nothing if you don't back it up in the Cup, you know. Seeeee ya!" And suddenly, she was gone as well.

Todd had a sour look on his face. "Man, Pauleen is weird! It's like she's a different person once that mask is on." Dina gave him a teasing smile and said, "She's cute, isn't she?" He blushed faintly and turned away.

Whatever snappy reply he had in store (if indeed he had one) was interrupted by the ringing of Dina's Paleopager. "_The Round 4 matches will now begin. Lucinda has been selected as Dina's Round 4 opponent. Please get ready, then check in at Cranial City's Fossil Stadium._"

Todd was instantly his cheerful self again. "You'd better get your act together, Dina. I know you can win, but it won't happen unless you prepare well!" Then he took off like a little green tornado.

Sighing, Dina decided to take a quick break before she went back to Cranial City. After running off the BB Brigade all by herself, she needed a little rest before Round 4.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Cranial City**

Walking into the Fossil Stadium at Cranial City's Fighter Station, Dina was shocked to find that she in fact recognized her opponent somewhat. _Now, where have I seen Lucinda before?_ she asked herself.

Then it dawned on her – Lucinda was one of the girls that had been held "captive" by the BB Brigade. Dina grinned mirthlessly. _She and the other girls must know how powerful I am if I rescued them all from the BB Brigade,_ she thought. _Now I'm about to show them – or one of them – just how powerful my Vivosaurs and I can be._

Lucinda was patiently waiting for her by the entrance to the stadium. "Hey!" she called Dina over. "You're the Fighter that drove off the BareBones Brigade, right?" Dina's response was a simple nod.

"They were horrible people," continued Lucinda. "They promised me juice and never brought me any. Oh, and they kidnapped me. There was that, too…"

Dina thought about saying, _You need to get your priorities straight,_ but decided against it. Before she could say anything else, the announcer called her and Lucinda into the stadium. Lucinda said hopefully, "If I win, you have to buy me some juice, OK?"

Dina smirked and said, "You know, I don't think that'll be a problem." Then the doors slid open, and the two Fighters walked into the stadium to the wild cheers of the crowd.

The battle began just after Ty Ranno and Trip Cera finished their opening lines. Lucinda sent out three Vivosaurs; they were all of the same species, Camarasaurus, but were different colors, strangely. Dina's brow wrinkled in confusion. _I thought Vivosaur species only came in one color?_

She shook herself and tried to concentrate on the battle at hand. "Give to 'em, Hopter, Radox, and Krypto!" The three teammates appeared with bright flashes of light, each opening with intimidating battle cries. The three Camaras shook, spooked, but recovered quickly as they readied for battle.

They didn't have long to wait. Dina came out strong, with Krypto Fang from Krypto and Radox Headbutt from Radox. The blue Camara was hit full force, both times. Krypto's teeth managed to score a critical hit, but the surprisingly defensive sauropod hung on.

Then it was Lucinda's turn. She told the orange Camara to use Camara Stomp on Radox. He shrieked shrilly as the heavy Vivosaur's feet crashed down on top of him. Recovering with shocking speed, he scuttled in tight circles within his battle position, stretching his aching muscles.

"Hopter, use Rock Wing!" Dina shouted. The ensuing wave of earth caught the blue Camara dead-on, sending it to its knees. But once again, it shook off the damage and got to its feet. Dina now realized that each of the Camaras had the Auto LP ability, which automatically healed a small percentage of the damage received from an attack.

_I'll just have to hit them harder,_ Dina growled inwardly, clenching her teeth. The blue Camara retaliated with a Camara Buster aimed at Hopter. It brought its heavy tail upwards, then swung it straight down with all of its might. Even though Hopter had a clear advantage with its Earth-type, he was still hit hard.

"Radox Blade, and finish the blue one!" Dina ordered Radox, to which the little arthropod replied with a strike from his glowing, razor-sharp horn. The blue Camara fell, struggled to its feet, and fell again, for the last time.

From across the field, Lucinda shouted in frustration. Then she ordered two Camara Busters from her remaining Vivosaurs. First Krypto was slammed hard, and then Hopter received the same treatment. Both were OK, although they stumbled a little as they got back into position.

Dina decided to try something brand-new. She ordered Krypto to use the new attack it had learned not too long ago – Krypto Virus. A huge cloud of purple gas flew out of Krypto's maw, then formed itself into a dinosaur skull-and-crossbones shape. The cloud enveloped the orange Camara, causing it to turn pale and sickly as it breathed the cloud in. _Now I wait,_ she thought with grim satisfaction.

Lucinda told the orange Camara to use Camara Stomp and the green one to use Camara Buster. Fortunately, the orange Camara was so unwell, the stomp missed Radox completely. However, Krypto found himself on the receiving end of the other Camara's thick tail. Being hit with the same powerful attack twice in a row left Krypto with only a sliver of LP left.

_So I let him hit back as hard as possible,_ Dina thought grimly. "Krypto, use Krypto Combo! And throw your back into it!" The carnivore rushed forward at the green Camara, dealing a crushing blow with his side, and then finishing off the attack with a mighty chomp from his jaws. The green Camara sustained big damage, but as usual, a portion was automatically healed.

Then came the inevitable – Lucinda commanded a Camara Stomp from the orange Camara, who looked more sick than ever. The Vivosaur's powerful feet connected with Krypto, taking away his last few LP and sending him into his Dino Medal.

Dina sucked in a frustrated breath, planning to avenge Krypto's death. "Hopter, Radox! Use Beak Stab and Radox Blade!" The two Vivosaurs synchronized their attacks, both striking the green Camara at the same time. Incredibly, the herbivore stayed strong.

A Camara Buster to the face took a huge chunk out of Hopter's LP. Dina winced as she saw his eyes begin to glow as he became more Berserk. Lucinda's own eyes shined in triumph – she knew that Hopter had effectively been taken out of the fight.

Then the expression on her face turned to one of horror – the orange Camara, the one that had been infected by Krypto, suddenly moaned and glowed a deep purple. It keeled over on its side and dissolved into a Dino Medal almost instantly.

"_Looks like Camara had to call in sick,_" joked Trip Cera from his vantage point. "_The use of Krypto Virus was an unexpected but very clever move,_" Ty Ranno agreed. "_Now let's see how Dina pulls off another spectacular win with Radox and Hopter._"

Smiling to herself, Dina told Hopter to use Rock Wing, but he used Beak Stab instead. The smile dropped from her face as the green Camara was struck a glancing blow. _Please, Hopter,_ she begged inwardly. _Remember yourself!_

Radox was next to fall, crushed under a Camara Stomp attack. Once again, Dina was stuck with a disobedient and badly-beat-up Hopter. But on the plus side, the last Camara only had a little LP left to spare.

"Use Rock Wing, Hopter!" cried Dina. "Please listen to me!" Hopter did nothing, and Dina's face fell – but something made her look back up. The glow in Hopter's eyes was once again fading! Hopter recognized her voice and was listening to it!

Leaping into the air, the pterosaur whipped up a massive sandstorm that choked the battlefield with sand and dirt. The entire crowd had squinted their eyes shut and was coughing in order to purge the filth from their lungs.

When the dust cleared, a Dino Medal was left sparkling in the light – Camara's Dino Medal.

The crowd burst into spontaneous applause as Hopter let out a victory screech. Dina cheered along with the crowd as she ran to embrace her Vivosaur. Hopter looked taken aback by the sudden show of affection, then awkwardly patted her on the back before retreating into his Dino Medal.

Trip Cera was hysterical. _"I have NEVER seen that before!_" he screamed into his microphone. "_Hopter ignoring the Berserk condition to come to his mistress' aid! In-CRED-ible!_"

Dina couldn't help it. She laughed uncontrollably, so great was her joy. Once again, she had cleared another round of the Caliosteo Cup, to the eternal enthusiasm of the crowd.

-.-.-.-.-.

**I guess the love triangle's been irreparably damaged in this chapter with the intervention of Pauleen. Damn it, Pauleen! Why must you ruin everything?**

**Oh, and of course, there's the close shave with death that Dina experiences in this chapter… I bet you're wondering what's going on, but I'm not spoiling anything for you ;)**

**TRIVIA: The title of this chapter comes from a book my sister used to read (and still does…) when she was little – "Hippos Go Berserk". Luckily, they don't actually go berserk, they just go a little crazy. The same cannot be said for poor Hopter :(**


	8. The Caliosteo Patrol Team

**Now we let the excitement die down a little bit with a less active chapter. This stuff's important to the story, sure… but nothing real gripping.**

**Don't worry, the action will pick up again in the next chapter!**

**And in case you haven't figured this out yet, I don't own Fossil Fighters.**

-.-.-.-.-.

After the long, tiring battle, Dina's throat was sore after yelling commands to her Vivosaurs. Of course, she wasn't as tired as the Vivosaurs themselves – Krypto, Radox, and Hopter needed a long rest after what they had just been through.

Lucinda joined her in the main lobby, grinning sheepishly. "Wow, you're really good at Fossil Battling!" she said to Dina. "I clearly spent too much time lying around and being kidnapped."

Dina grinned. "Hey, you couldn't have done anything about that," she reassured her. Lucinda grinned back. "If we ever meet again, let's have another battle, OK?" Lucinda nodded and walked back out of the Fighter Station.

Of course, who should come running up to greet her next but Todd. He skidded to a halt in front of her and spent a few seconds catching his breath. "You know what?" he asked when he recovered his composure. "I actually think that you can win this Cup, Dina."

Laughing good-naturedly, Dina said sarcastically, "So you're admitting that you didn't think that I could win before this moment?" Todd turned bright red in embarrassment and said mumbled, "You know what I mean!" Then he started to laugh too.

Then Terry's voice came out from nowhere as he was revealed to be standing right behind them. "I suppose all of this BB Brigade fighting has taken away from your excavating time, huh?" he asked. "But despite all that, you STILL managed to clear Round 4! You're really something, Dina."

He coughed and produced a strangely angular fossil rock from within his Fossil Case. "Oh, here," he said, as if just remembering he had it. "It's a little gift from me to you, for completing Round 4." He handed it to Dina, who turned it over in her hands, admiring it.

"That's a Wondrous Fossil Rock," Terry explained. "If you clean it perfectly – which is easier to do than normal fossils, by the way – then you can integrate it into one of your Vivosaurs to boost its stats." Dina's eyes gleamed. "Wow, thanks!" she exclaimed.

"Also," Terry rapidly changed the subject. "I come bearing a special message for you two. It appears word of your heroics has reached the highest levels" – _Took long enough, _thought Dina – "because Joe Wildwest wants to meet with you!"

Todd actually flinched in surprise. "Seriously?!" he nearly shouted. "You mean THE Joe Wildwest?!" Dina, although definitely excited herself, couldn't resist another sarcastic remark. "No, the OTHER Joe Wildwest," she said, to which Todd responded with a withering look.

"He sure does," said Terry, answering Todd's initial question. "Now I know you're busy, but I'm sure you can make time to visit Joe in his suite, right?" Dina stepped forward determinedly and replied, "Heck yes!"

Terry explained where to find the elevator to WildwestTower, then saluted and walked off. "Hey, maybe he remembers us!" exclaimed Todd the second Terry had left. "Gyaaa! I'm so excited! Let's stop standing around and go see Joe already!"

Todd and Dina went off in the opposite direction that Terry had previously went in. They had a meeting with Joe Wildwest to get to.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Wildwest Tower**

"Oh, don't tell me Joe invited you two jokers along!" exclaimed Pauleen. The two friends had just walked through the elevator into Joe's private suite, only to find Pauleen waiting for them. Todd in particular was disappointed. "This is the pits," grumbled Dina. "I thought we were going to chat about old times, but if Pauleen was invited, that isn't likely."

Suddenly, Joe, who had been looking out of the gigantic window on the other side of the room as if in a daze, turned and spoke to them. "Howdy, folks! Sorry to take up yer time, but I'm real tickled y'all came to see me."

He stepped forth and introduced himself. "I'm Joe Wildwest, owner and proprietor of this here FossilPark. Now, I've been hearing about yer heroics from Terry, and I don't mind sayin' that he's a mite impressed. He told me all about how you saved them girls from the BareBones Brigade."

Joe modestly shuffled his feet. "If it warn't for that," he continued. "I mighta had to shut down the whole Caliosteo Cup! So it seems that I owe ya my thanks."

Dina blushed faintly and Todd suddenly became very interested in twiddling his thumbs. Pauleen, however, jumped on this opportunity and said, "Oh, there's no reason to thank me. I just did what any beautiful and talented Fighter would do."

Driven to distraction by Pauleen's bragging, Dina snapped, "Yeah, such as sit there and do nothing at all!"

Pauleen snapped right back. "You stay out of this!" Dina was now seeing red, and held a fist up to Pauleen's nose… or, well, mask.

"Whoa, there!" Joe interrupted them before things got violent. "Let's just all tucker down there, pardners!" Todd managed to pull Dina away from Pauleen, who quashed her anger with some difficulty. _Now isn't the time,_ said Aeros timidly, and she thanked him for his input.

"As y'all already know," Joe continued thoughtfully. "The BB Brigade is tryin' to ruin the Cup. But ya what don't know is that they tried to do it last time I held the Cup. Last time, they attempted things like sabotage, y'know, all sneaky-like. Looks like they're goin' for a bolder approach."

Dina, Pauleen, and Todd all exchanged surprised glances as Joe went on, "And ya know that good ol' Cotton disappeared almost as soon as he won the Cup. Wish I knew what happened to him…"

Pauleen raised her hand. "Maybe he was kidnapped like I was!" she offered. "Yeah," agreed Todd. "Maybe the BB Brigade thought that if they captured the Champion, there wouldn't be another Cup."

Joe grinned and subsequently guffawed. "You've got a lively mind, small fry," he told Todd. "If that's the case, I guess the BB Brigade was wrong!"

Joe suddenly clapped his hands together decisively. "Now," he said, changing the subject, "I can tell y'all are skilled Fighters with a strong sense'a justice. And that's why I've got an offer for ya…"

He paused for dramatic effect, leaving the three of them all holding their breaths. Then he finally said, "I want y'all to join the Caliosteo Patrol Team!"

Dina, Todd, and Pauleen exchanged blank looks. _Caliosteo Patrol Team?_ asked Aeros, indeed the only one of them that actually asked the question that was on their minds (unless one of Todd's or Pauleen's Vivosaurs were asking as well).

"Them BB varmints are as persistent as flies on a pile'a manure," Joe explained, "and I reckon they'll strike again before long. So I need y'all to keep yer eyes peeled for anything that looks like trouble. If ya smell anything fishy, just let either a staff leader or myself know, ya hear? That's the job of the Caliosteo Patrol Team."

Joe thought for a second, before thoughtfully continuing, "Of course, Dina and Pauleen would continue fightin' in the Caliosteo Cup…"

Todd held up her hand and caused Joe to pause. "You can count on me, sir! I'll do whatever it takes to stop the BareBones Brigade!" Dina smirked and muttered, "Provided nothing scares you…" Pauleen heard that and tried in vain to stifle her snort.

"It sounds like fun!" she agreed, regaining control of herself. "Plus, you'll need someone as beautiful and talented as me if you ever hope to succeed."

Joe actually blushed. "Well, shucks, you two," he said modestly. "So, how 'bout you, Dina? Can I convince ya?"

Dina gave him her best skeptical look. "Ya think?" she asked sarcastically. "Of course I'll join! Anything to keep the Caliosteo Cup running!"

Todd looked super-hyped-up. "I knew you'd say yes!" he practically squealed. "And this is our chance to pay Joe back for saving our lives two years ago!" Dina excitedly nodded, unconsciously thinking back to that initially horrifying day. And somehow she knew that Aeros was doing the same.

But Joe, incredibly, looked confused. "Pay me back?" he said at last. "What in th'heck are ya talkin' about, small fry?" Dina felt some hidden hope within her slowly deflate.

Todd, however, remained excited. "Don't you remember?" he asked. "Two years ago you saved me and Dina from a rogue Velociraptor! …Don't tell me you forget…?"

Joe sadly shook his head. "Sorry, pardner, but I don't remember anything like that…" His voice trailed off, and Todd looked dejected. "No… it's… it's okay…" he murmured, almost to himself.

"Right then!" boomed Joe in a jolly voice. "I hereby declare the Caliosteo Patrol Team open for business! I'm expectin' great things from the three of ya, so don't let me down, y'hear?" The three of them all struck individual victory poses, and everyone laughed.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Bonechip Island**

Far away from the CaliosteoIslands, in Don Boneyard's private quarters, the talking skeleton glared down at a terrified Cole. "I have a bone to pick with you, my dear Cole…" he said ominously. "Your brilliant kidnapping scheme had been foiled by a pair of children. One of them even defeated you in combat, despite my giving you a team of powerful Boneysaurs and the additional assistance of our newest recruit… I am disappointed in you. VERY disappointed."

Cole hastily wiped a bead of sweat from his brow as he quaked in his boots. "P-please forgive me, Don Boneyard!" he hurriedly apologized. "It's a minor setback, that's all! It doesn't reflect a bit on my natural style or talent!" Cole rambled on with a few more excuses, only to be interrupted.

"Har har har!" laughed the voice from the entrance. "You sure like makin' excuses, Cole!" A rather large teenager with a humongous Mohawk stomped into the room.

"Lester!" Cole raged. "How dare you interrupt…!" But Lester paid him no heed, shoving him out of the way. Cole hit the floor, then hastily picked himself back up, dusting himself off and scowling, pride injured.

"Listen, Don Boneyard," boomed Lester confidently. "What say you let me take a crack at this next? I got a rockin' plan! Once it's on, the Cup'll be the least of their worries! Har har har!"

Lester laughed like a maniac, joined in after a moment's hesitation by Don Boneyard. "Bwa ha ha!" he guffawed. "Very well. Lester, as one of my trusted BareBones Brigade commanders, I will let you head this operation. Force the cancellation of the Cup, and drive those cursed Fighters from these islands!"

While the two of them laughed, Cole stalked off, annoyed. Heading for his chamber, he scarcely noticed the two other figures waiting just outside Don Boneyard's quarters.

"Woooooow," drawled the girl, blowing a bubble of bubble gum with a *pop*. "He looks, like, maaaad, you know?" The second figure, half-hidden in the shadows, chuckled his agreement. "I guess his plan failed," he said. "Even after I helped him. Imagine how badly it would have gone without me."

The girl laughed. "Are you gonna help Lester?" she asked amusedly. "His plans are, like, even worse."

The shadowed being laughed with her. "Subtle as an axe to the head, and only half as interesting. Sure, I guess I'll help. It's the least I can do for you guys, after you took me in and all."

Although the darkness hid it, a creepy smile split his face nearly in two. "Tell me, Lola… d'you think there'll be survivors this time?"

-.-.-.-.-.

**Cleaning Room**

"The Caliosteo Patrol Team," said Dina, as if tasting the phrase. "It has a nice ring, don't you think? I'm getting excited just thinking about it!"

Todd didn't respond until Dina joked, "Why the long face? In fact, if it were any longer, you'd need another chin." Todd sighed and said, "I can't believe Joe didn't remember us at all. It was the best day of my life, and he just…"

He sighed again. Dina comfortingly draped an arm around his shoulders. "I was disappointed too, but do you see me getting depressed about it?" she asked. "We're going to be great at the Patrol Team, and I'm going to win the Cup. If we do that, Joe will remember us again, you'll see!"

Todd cheered up considerably, then left Dina alone in the Cleaning Room, presumably headed for the new dig site that had opened: Hot Spring Heights. Dina planned to go there as soon as she was done cleaning some of her fossil rocks.

KL-33N greeted her and proudly displayed the fossils that she had given him to clean. None of them were anything new to her, but those fossils would be integrated into her Vivosaurs for a few extra points; not enough to rank up, but still, every point counted.

Dina looked in her Fossil Case and saw that she only had one rock – the Wondrous Fossil Rock that Terry had given her. "Come on, KL-33N," she said merrily, "let's do some cleaning!" The robot always reacted well to these words, seeming to perk up instantly at the prospect (_Pardon the pun_, Dina thought) of fossil cleaning with his favorite Fighter. Dina still remembered the fond memory of KL-33N calling her that in his mechanical yet still warm voice.

"This is a silver fossil (arms), cleaned to 100 points," he now droned, when Dina had finished her work. "Choose a Vivosaur to undergo integration – BEEP." After much consideration, Dina picked Aeros and placed his Dino Medal in the Revival Chamber.

A silvery flash of light commenced from within, and the lights on the machine blinked spastically. Then, the door opened, and out stepped the radically changed Aeros.

Originally, he had been blue, with yellow feathers adorning his head and back, and a black underbelly. Now, he looked like he had just stepped out of a black-and-white movie, with his body covered in monochromatic shades of white, grey, and black.

_Wow, I feel stronger!_ he exclaimed, turning around and around to examine himself from every angle. _Something in that fossil's given me a huge power boost! Now I feel fit enough to take on every Vivosaur on Cranial Isle!_

Dina grinned at her friend's enthusiasm. "Let's not do that, OK?" she laughed, stepping over to retrieve Aeros' Dino Medal, which he had turned back into just in that moment. Saying goodbye to KL-33N, Dina ran over her list of things to do in her head.

_I did so much today… _she kept even her thoughts to a murmur, and she suddenly felt incredibly drowsy. _I'm going to head to Ribular Island's campsite to sleep off my exhaustion, then grab my coat and a meal, and head to Ilium Island! _Ilium Island was where Hot Spring Heights was located. It was also where Round 5 of the Caliosteo Cup would be taking place.

But Dina didn't need to think of that right now. She kept her mind on the soft, cozy sleeping bag that awaited her in the campsite on RibularIsland.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Ilium Village**

Shivering from the sudden chill in the air when she got off the helicopter, Dina took her first steps into Ilium Village. Almost immediately, she was greeted by a person wearing the same uniform that Stella and Terry both wore. _That means he's the Staff Leader here,_ Dina thought.

"Hey, dude!" he greeted her. "Welcome to Ilium Island! We get some pretty gnarly weather here, dude, so be sure not to catch a cold."

Dina gave him a weird look. _Does he call everyone "dude" like that?_ she asked herself. _Who is he, a surfer?_ Turns out that she was close – he was in fact a snowboarder.

"Are you Dina?" the Staff Leader now asked her in wonder, apparently recognizing her for the first time. Numbly, Dina nodded, and he went on in response, "Yeah, so my name's Kent. Terry and Stella told me that you're a pretty radical dude, but if you need anything, just lemme know."

Kent then led Dina on an impromptu tour of the tiny town, which consisted of a Fighter Station and a Fossil Guild. It was more like an outpost than a village, to be honest.

Kent finished with, "You're a Patrol Team dude, I hear, so I'm expecting some totally tubular things from you. We gotta stop those gnarly BB types from messing up the Cup, you know? 'Cause that would be a bummer. Anyway, cheese ya later."

Now free to go, Dina headed for the path to Hot Spring Heights. She shivered again and drew her winter coat tighter around herself. She hated the cold.

_Guess I'm just going to have to get used to it, because I think I'm going to be here for a while,_ Dina thought grimly, trying to stop her teeth from chattering.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Hot Spring Heights**

"OK, breathe, girl!" Pauleen said with a huff of breath emanating from her mouth. "Breeeeeeeatheee…"

Dina was catching this odd scene from the cover of a nearby fir tree. She had been searching for fossils when she spotted Pauleen's vibrant tropical-colored hair sticking out amongst the snow. Curious, she had went over, only to see Pauleen apparently talking to a snowman! The other odd thing was that she didn't have her mask on. _What's going on?_ Dina had wondered at the time, and ducked behind the tree to investigate.

"Hello, diga!" Pauleen said to the snowman in an exaggerated, cheerful tone. "My name's Pauleen, diga! Nice to meet you, digadigadig!" There was a very long pause, then Pauleen deflated as if some hidden hope had left her.

"I can talk normally to a snowman," she muttered dejectedly. "It's really nice, digadig. But when I talk to _people_, diga, I get flustered and nervous and my face turns red." Pauleen reached down to the ground and picked her mask up out of the snow. "I hope I can talk to other people soon, digadig…"

Putting her mask on and making sure it was secure, Pauleen ran off, not even realizing Dina was there, eavesdropping on her from behind the fir tree.

Dina herself was feeling a mix of confusion and pity. _So that's why she wears the mask,_ she realized. _She's afraid of showing her face to others, and thus can't talk to them… right?_ The more Dina thought about it, the more perplexed she got. How, for example, could a mask possibly help in this situation?

Well, she decided, there really wasn't time to think about such trivial things. She had more important work to do – a lot of it, now that she was part of the newly formed Caliosteo Patrol Team. But she also had work to do in preparing for the Caliosteo Cup.

Dina dug out her sonar and, almost right away, detected a fossil buried only a few feet away from her. But just as she moved over to the hidden rock and raised her pickaxe, her Paleopager made her nearly jump out of her coat with its high-pitched ringing.

When she checked it, this was the message that was waiting for her: "_Joe Wildwest here with a message for my new Patrol Team. I got a little job for ya. Can y'all meet me at my suite in Wildwest Tower? I'll be waitin'!_"

Dina groaned and briefly debated to herself which was more important – searching for fossils to improve in the Cup, the only reason she was here in the Caliosteo Islands at all, or working with her new partners in the Patrol Team, which technically _protected_ the Cup. Before Aeros or one of her other Vivosaurs could interject with their opinions, she made up her mind and began the long trek back to Ilium Village's heliport.

When she got there, shivering slightly from the hour or so she had spent in the cold, she stopped when she reached the heliport. Surprisingly, Rupert was there, wearing his standard red coat and looking as if he wasn't bothered at all by the chilly climate.

"Oh. Hello, Dina," he greeted her first. "Hi, Rupert," she responded. "What are you doing here?"

Rupert shook his head as if weary. "My father is taking a moment out of his schedule to come by the fossil park. I have been ordered to wait for him here." Dina tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes slightly. "Ordered?" she asked, waiting for confirmation.

"Yes," Rupert said flatly. "Ordered." He sighed dejectedly, looking even more weary. Dina drew closer to him, about to ask what the matter was, when she heard the thrumming of a helicopter's blades up above. "Is that him?" Dina asked instead, to which Rupert replied with a barely noticeable nod.

Dina instinctively stepped out of the way when Rupert's father, the FossilDig CEO, walked out of the helicopter, an expression of emotionless disappointment on his features. Something about this man frightened Dina, either his expensive yet distasteful purple suit and obscuring visor, or the air with which he held himself. Whether it was one of these, she didn't know. All she knew was that she wanted to get as far away as possible from him.

"Thank you for coming to see me, Father. I know your time is most valuable." Rupert spoke in a strangely formal, polite, and dead tone, as if all emotions had evaporated from him.

His father spoke in a similar manner, one less polite and more dead than his son's. There was an undercurrent of command in his voice as well. "I hear you are making steady progress through the Cup, Rupert," he droned. "However, I expect you to continue on and win. I will accept no less than total victory. Your unbeaten streak is the finest advertising FossilDig Inc. could want, and must continue at all costs. Do not fail me in this, Rupert!" The CEO's voice turned extremely harsh, and Rupert, incredibly, shrank back from him in fear.

When the FossilDig CEO had left in the helicopter, Rupert became his normal self again. "As you can see, Dina, my father is very… driven." Dina scowled and said, "That's a bit of an understatement. I can't believe how he treated you."

Rupert simply stared at the concrete under his feet. "How can FossilDig Inc. become more profitable? How can it corner the market on all fossil-related industries?" he mumbled. "That is all my father ever thinks about."

Dina, who had become bolder since Rupert's father had left, put a gentle arm around his shoulders, only to have him shrug her off. "None of this concerns you, Dina," he said. "Please forget any of this happened."

There was a little bit of silence that ensued. Dina broke it by saying, "Look, Rupert…" She stopped. What she had been about to say was "_If you win, don't do it for your father's sake. Do it for mine. If I lose in the Cup, I'll want you to win. This is how I feel._"

Instead, Dina shook away the feelings welling inside of her and finished, "If there's anything I can do for you…" Rupert took a stride away from her. "I said there's nothing for you to be concerned about. Goodbye, Dina." She might have imagined it, but there seemed to be a note of reluctance in his voice.

Nevertheless, he smiled almost imperceptibly at Dina as he walked off. The blush came back to her cheeks, as it had done for the first time on MountKrakanak, when Rupert had last smiled at her like that. This time, it was accompanied by a warm, fuzzy feeling that emanated from deep within her.

Dina didn't know what this was, and she didn't care to. She told the helicopter attendant she wanted to go to CranialCity, and waited for the vehicle to arrive and land, in the freezing cold.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Wildwest Tower**

The elevator, after a minute or two, came to a stop in Joe Wildwest's suite. Todd and Pauleen and Joe were already there, along with some man in a suit that she didn't recognize. "Took you long enough, Dina!" Pauleen huffed. "The Caliosteo Patrol Team is _finally_ all accounted for!"

Joe Wildwest stepped in before things even began to get ugly. "I'm glad y'all made it on such short notice. This here's Minister Pomposa from the Kingdom of Nomadistan, and he needs our help."

The minister stepped forward and held himself up with pride. "Harrumph!" he coughed. "I am Minister Pomposa! See to it that you address me by my full and proper name!" Dina smiled and wisecracked in a whisper to Todd, "His first name's 'Minister'?" Todd giggled nervously and turned back to face the front.

"Harrumph!" the minister coughed again. "The words Minister Pomposa will speak are of vital importance to the Kingdom of Nomadistan!" With a couple more coughs, he began his tale:

"The Kingdom of Nomadistan is ruled by a lovely princess whom the people treasure above all else. However, our beloved princess has recently gone missing! This is unacceptable! Minister Pomposa has traveled far and wide in search of the princess, but to no avail. However, we now believe we are close to finding her – it seems as if she has entered herself in the Caliosteo Cup, and is thus hiding within this fossil park. Minister Pomposa is sure of it!"

Joe stepped in at this point. "As y'all can guess, this is a sensitive matter, and we've been asked to keep it under our hats. But if anyone could form a posse and hunt down this little lady, it'd be my Patrol Team!"

Minister Pomposa interrupted whatever Joe was going to say next. "Now then. If you find our princess, you will be rewarded most generously. You shall be given a Miraculous Fossil Rock so fine, Fighters shed tears of joy just to being near it."

Todd and Pauleen nearly fell all over the minister upon hearing these words. "Seriously? A Miraculous Fossil Rock?!" he exclaimed in disbelief. "You'd actually give something like that away?!" demanded Pauleen.

Dina rolled her eyes in the background. Although she was clearly excited at the chance to receive a fossil rock with the potential to completely transform one of her Vivosaurs, she wasn't going to participate in Todd and Pauleen's mobbing.

"You have the word of the great and terrible Minister Pomposa himself," he assured them, slightly exasperated. "And his word is stronger than oak! Now, I believe some information would be useful on what our beautiful princess is like…"

He produced a photograph from his shirt pocket with a flourish and held it before the group of three. Todd, as well as Dina, gasped in complete shock – the girl in the photo was Joanie, accompanied by Madame Pooch!

Minister Pomposa didn't realize that their gasps were of recognition, however, and stood proudly once more. "It seems as though you appreciate true beauty!" he said dramatically. "Your lips utter the cry your heart cannot." Dina shook her head numbly and began to mutter, "No, that's not it…"

But Joe suddenly cut her off. "Sorry to drop this on y'all," he said apologetically, "but I don't know who else to trust. Ya might want to ask around first and see if some'a the townsfolk know anything – but fer heck's sake, don't tell 'em yer lookin' for a princess! All right team, get out there and scare up that missin' lady!"

-.-.-.-.-.

**I guess we're going to stop there for now. We've got a lot to cover in the next chapter, as you can probably guess.**

**I'm not spoiling any of that, however. See you for the next chapter!**

**TRIVIA: I originally intended for Aeros to get the Miraculous Fossil Rock, and not the Wondrous one, but the black-and-white Aeros looks so damn epic!**

**P.S. I actually have a very serious question for you all. Do you think I should continue writing "Pokemon Trainer's School: Legend of Kyurem"? I recently had an even better idea for a Pokemon fanfic, involving most of the same characters. So should I give up on PTS and give its characters a new, more inspired adventure? Please answer, and thanks in advance.**


	9. Hot Springs, Cold Plots

**Now, where were we? Ah, yes! Dina, Todd, and Pauleen are currently competing for the ownership of a Miraculous Fossil Rock by trying to find the princess of Nomadistan.**

**Meanwhile, the BB Brigade is plotting for another attempt at the cancellation of the Caliosteo Cup… The suspense builds!**

**Also I just want to say that I'm scrapping "Pokemon Trainer's School: Legend of Kyurem" and writing a more inspired Pokemon fanfic. Thank you to all of the ****_nice, incredibly kind _****people that helped me make this decision!**

**(Imagine the sarcasm dripping so thickly from my voice that it forms a small puddle beneath me to get the full picture.)**

-.-.-.-.-.

Dina walked through the streets of Cranial City in a hurry, but at the same time making sure to take her time. As much as she wanted that Miraculous Fossil Rock, she knew that it didn't pay to rush. Todd and Pauleen, apparently, didn't share that knowledge, so Dina also knew that she probably had an edge in this little contest.

She casually walked up to a Fighter and asked if he had seen Joanie and her dog. "Ah, yes, the lass with the dog," he said. "Saw them board a helicopter, I did. I think it was heading to Ribular Island." Dina thanked the Fighter and headed for the helipad. Once there, she asked the helicopter attendant for a lift to Ribular Island.

As the helicopter landed, Dina jumped off while it was still a meter from the ground. Seeing a group of Fighters strolling towards what looked like the Fossil Lawn, she stopped them and asked if any of them had seen Joanie. "Yep," said one. "I saw her heading into the Jungle Labyrinth."

Dina thanked them as well, then scurried off towards the Jungle Labyrinth. Already, the memories were flowing through her head – meeting Pauleen, the false monster, and beating Rockin' Billy in Round Two.

Luckily, Dina didn't see Todd or Pauleen at all when she arrived at and began searching through the Jungle Labyrinth. That meant that neither of them had heard that Joanie and Madame Pooch were here, or at least, they hadn't heard it in time. Before she could congratulate herself on an almost guaranteed win, Aeros warned, _Don't get overconfident. Anything can happen._ She decided to take his word, and settled down a little.

About a half an hour later, as Dina approached the deepest, darkest portion of the Jungle Labyrinth, where she had previously encountered the false monster, Aeros suddenly appeared with a flash of light beside her.

_I don't feel right,_ he growled. _Something up ahead is disturbing me. I think that I should continue in my Vivosaur form for now._ Dina looked up at her black-and-white Vivosaur and nodded at him, both grateful and a little worried. _What on Earth could tempt Aeros into coming out of his Dino Medal?_ she wondered nervously, then sucked in a breath and advanced into the dark jungle.

Suddenly, as they proceeded, Dina could hear snatches of what sounded like a conversation. She started at the familiar sound of Joanie's voice – it sounded like she was in some kind of trouble! She increased her pace, trying to keep herself hidden in the foliage. Aeros attempted this as well, but had significantly less success.

Soon, Dina peeked through the ferns to see Joanie standing on the sidelines in a clearing as a strange man fawned over Madame Pooch. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Madame Pooch's obviously troublesome situation. She struggled and squirmed, but the man persistently held on.

"No, no, widdle doggy!" he said in a ridiculously childish voice. "Don't squirm now! You have to be a nice widdle doggy!" Joanie stepped in as Madame Pooch's barking increased in urgency. "Stop zis!" she said in a voice that was half-command, half-plea. "Madame Pooch, she does not like you!"

The man smirked. "Wrong again, sister. The name's Pat Bull, and all animals like me. I've got this natural way with 'em, see?" He continued his petting and hugging of Madame Pooch, much to her distress.

Dina had seen enough. She burst out of the ferns and loudly said, "Then let's see if you have a 'natural way' with my Vivosaurs!" Aeros crashed through the trees after her and stomped each of his feet once, roaring frighteningly.

"Ah!" exclaimed Joanie in relief. "It is my friend, Dina! You are here at just ze right time, no? Please, you must make ze Fossil Battle with zis terrible man and save Madame Pooch!" Dina nodded as Pat Bull turned and saw the newcomers.

"I ought to smack you with a rolled-up newspaper, kid," he groaned. Dina retorted snappishly, "Then I ought to spray you with my water bottle."

Pat Bull laughed at this. "You've got a good sense of humor, kid. But if it's a Fossil Battle you want, bring it on!" Assuming a ready stance, Dina allowed Aeros to step in front of her with a thud that shook the ground. Reaching into her pocket for two of her other Dino Medals, she said, "Ready when you are."

She tossed the two medallions, and they flashed with blinding light, turning into Radox and Krypto. Pat Bull's eyes lit up in anticipation. "Time to show you who the real alpha dog is around here!" he shouted, throwing out his own Vivosaurs.

Two of them Dina recognized – they were both Machai, one with red stripes and one with green. But the third was something completely new to her. It looked like a mutant rhinoceros, with a massive, bladelike horn extending from its head and scale-like projections covering its back and shoulders.

_No wonder I smelled something dangerous! _exclaimed Aeros. _That's a Heracles, the Super-Evolved form of Tricera!_ Dina clenched her jaw and piled on, "So it's bound to be much tougher than anything we've faced. We'll just have to be relentless with our attacks."

Dina's Fighter Watch revealed that Pat Bull's Machai gave him the edge in speed. He commanded both of them to use Machai Fang, which each hit Aeros. The twin blows made him take a step back, but he recovered, shrugging off the pain like it was nothing.

"Aeros, retaliate with a Wind Blast!" The Wind Blast came shrieking out of Aeros' mouth with a roar. Instantly, the red-striped Machai was knocked off its feet and into its Dino Medal. Dina blinked as Aeros roared triumphantly. _I know that silver fossil powered Aeros up, _she thought numbly, _but that's simply ridiculous!_

Full of new confidence, she told Radox to use Radox Headbutt on Heracles. Radox sped straight ahead, then suddenly jumped to the side and smashed into the side of Heracles' face, in order to avoid that great blade. Although the blow was powerful, Heracles barely noticed it, with only a jerk of its head to acknowledge the pain.

"Machai, use Machai Twist on Radox!" The green-striped Machai chomped Radox with its fangs, then dealt a quick uppercut with them, flinging Radox into the air and letting him hit the ground with a dull crash. But Radox's exoskeleton was tough from all the Fossil Battling he had done with Dina, and he effortlessly flipped himself right-side up.

Heracles had yet to move, and Dina was growing increasingly wary. "Radox, give Heracles another Headbutt," she called, "and Aeros, use Aeros Alert on him for good measure!" Radox once again collided with Heracles' head, and the huge dinosaur had no time to recover before Aeros' tail, then his teeth, connected with him in rapid succession. A massive chunk had been torn out of his LP, but he still had more than half left.

Only then did he attack, with a move that Pat Bull called Heracles Blade. His huge horn glowed with a whitish-blue light, then he charged forward with the speed and force of a car. The horn speared Krypto in the flank, causing him to recoil severely and roar with pain.

Dina winced – her Fighter Watch gave her Krypto's current LP count, and it wasn't pretty. "Krypto, use Krypto Virus on Machai to take him out of the fight!" The black predator reared back and exhaled a cloud of gas that enveloped Machai, disappearing as the tiger-like Vivosaur involuntarily inhaled it.

Out of FP, Dina winced as Heracles came in with another Heracles Blade attack. Luckily, Krypto managed to avoid the worst of the damage, but that glowing horn still hurt him badly.

Opening her mouth to give a command, Dina suddenly thought of something. She snickered under her breath and chose to end her turn without attacking. Confusion swam in Pat Bull's eyes, visible even under his sunglasses, but that soon dissipated. He yelled, "Machai, use Machai Twist on Aeros!"

The Machai bit Aeros on the arm, to which he flinched, and then did a backflip upwards, kicking Aeros under the chin. Aeros was hurt and annoyed, but otherwise perfectly fine.

Dina watched her FP climb some more. There was a lot there, over 200, but she still didn't have enough for what she wanted to do. _Oh, well, there's enough to spend on a weaker attack,_ she decided. "Radox, use Radox Blade!" The trilobite's left horn began glowing as he ran forward, ready to rake Heracles across the flank with it. But Heracles saw it coming, and used his own Blade attack. The two horns clanged together like swords, and a huge flash and explosion of energy occurred.

When it was over, Radox came flying out of the resultant cloud of smoke and landed on the back of his shell. His legs feebly waved in the air before he became a Dino Medal again. Dina tenderly picked it up and put it back in her pocket.

On the other side, Pat Bull laughed at his somewhat easy victory, when Machai suddenly gave a howl of despair and keeled over on his side. As he retreated into his own medal and Pat Bull's expression changed to one of mixed fury and shock, Dina smirked to herself. Krypto's virus had done the trick, and now it was only Heracles left for the assault she was planning.

"OK, team, time to avenge our fallen partner!" she cried out to Aeros and Krypto. "Krypto, use your Krypto Combo on Heracles!"

Charging straight at Heracles, who stood there unconcerned, Krypto suddenly stopped and slammed his hip right into Heracles' own. Right after that, he clamped his jaws around Heracles' front right leg and physically threw him to the ground. The combined impacts actually made the normally stoic Super Evolver to wince.

"And I'm not done yet!" cried Dina. "Aeros, give him a taste of your newest skill! Use Aeros Special!" Pat Bull's eyes widened, as did Heracles. A slow, predatory smile crept across Aeros' face.

As Heracles got up from Krypto's earlier attack, the monochrome Vivosaur rushed up to it and slapped his powerful tail across its face, throwing it once again to the ground. Aeros didn't stop there, as he brought his fangs together with a thunderous crash on Heracles' flank.

Painfully, Heracles struggled to get up, weakening under the pressure of Dina's relentless attacks, but Aeros had yet to finish. He opened his jaws wide, as if preparing for another massive bite, and a huge curtain of green fire gushed out from his mouth, enveloping Heracles and completely obscuring him under the inferno.

Heracles gave his own version of a piteous scream (it was more of a gurgling growl), then dissolved into white light, leaving only his charred Dino Medal behind. The emerald fires slowly burned themselves out, revealing the small wasteland they had created out of what was originally a bed of grass and ferns.

"Agh!" exclaimed Pat Bull. "How could I have lost when I had my powerful Super Evolver to fight for me?" He bent down to pick up Heracles' Dino Medal, only to find that it was still scorching hot.

With a strangled yell, he raced off into the forest, frantically juggling the burning medallion between his hands like a hot potato. Aeros threw his head back and gave a laugh, to which Krypto and Dina joined in.

"Madame Pooch!" said Joanie gratefully, and her dog ran up to her and enthusiastically began licking her face. "You have suffered ze terrible ordeal, no?" Dina chose that moment to pipe up, "I wouldn't say 'terrible'. But that man really needs to keep it together."

Joanie stood up to her full height and walked a few steps toward Dina. "I cannot zank you enough, Dina!" she beamed. "If you had not been coming by just now…"

All of a sudden, Dina remembered why she was here (the heat of battle tended to drain her memory a bit). "Actually, I was…" she began, and explained to Joanie that Minister Pomposa had been looking for her.

When she was done, Joanie looked shocked. "A la carte!" she almost shrieked. "Minister Pomposa, he is here?!" But as Dina was about to explain further, she heard Todd's bellow from beyond the trees Aeros had previously smashed through.

"I found her!" he yelled, speeding up to Joanie faster than a Struthiomimus. Pauleen was on his tail, breathlessly protesting, "I saw her first!"

Joanie herself looked exasperated as the two of them argued over who would take her back to WildwestTower. They both ran off, dragging Joanie behind them, still arguing. The princess was so surprised that she could barely muster a word of protest.

Madame Pooch stood beside Dina, worriedly scratching behind her ear with a paw. She whined pathetically, to which Dina responded, "Don't worry, Madame Pooch. We'll go after them."

Dina gingerly picked up the dog and headed back through the Jungle Labyrinth, intent on getting to Cranial City.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Wildwest Tower**

Dina arrived at Joe's suite in time to hear Minister Pomposa boom, "SILENCE!" He went on in a quieter tone, "Now, where is the princess?" Todd and Pauleen, who had been arguing again, looked completely and utterly perplexed.

They weren't the only ones. Joe Wildwest as well as Dina were also confused. _Joanie isn't the princess?_ she thought. _But the only other one in that photograph was…_ She looked down at the dog in her arms as a realization dawned on her.

At that same moment, Minister Pomposa had seen Dina and Madame Pooch and positively leapt with joy. "She has returned!" he boomed again, this time with happiness and not anger. "It is Princess Pooch!"

Now Todd and Pauleen looked appalled as the minister knelt down on one knee to address Madame Pooch. "Somebody had better explain what is going on here," squeaked Pauleen, tearing at her hair in frustration, "and fast!"

Joanie looked at her and said with all honesty, "Ze princess you have been searching for is Madame Pooch. I am… how you say? Her attendant?"

The room was full of shocked faces. Minister Pomposa drew himself up to his full (and somewhat imposing) height and adjusted his shirt collar. "Harrumph, perhaps Minister Pomposa can explain…

"For many years, the Kingdom of Nomadistan was constantly at war. The people grew tired of the endless conflict and eventually blamed it on the frailties of human leaders." He seemed to put emphasis on the word _human_. "So one day, they decided to make a dog the new king."

There was a stunned silence, which was broken by Pauleen. "That seems desperate," she commented dryly, with a hint of a sneer in her voice. The minister turned to her and said matter-of-factly, "Perhaps. But in the end, the wars stopped, and the people reunited in peace. Ever since that glorious day, the Kingdom of Nomadistan has been ruled by a dog."

There was an even greater stunned silence.

Minister Pomposa turned once more to Princess Pooch, who looked upset. "Your people have been so worried for you, Your Highness!" he said with real sadness. "The dear Queen Mother has refused to play with her favorite ball out of worry! And His Majesty the King cannot gather the strength for his daily territorial markings."

Dina visibly winced and thought, _Didn't need to know that…_

Princess Pooch whined, and Joanie leapt to her defense. "Enough, Minister!" she exclaimed. "It was I who allowed her out of ze palace. She requested my help, and I could not refuse."

Minister Pomposa was quiet for what seemed like hours. "…Is your desire to engage in Fossil Battles that strong, Princess?" he finally asked Princess Pooch, to which she responded with an affirmative bark and the vigorous nodding of her head.

"Very well," the minister sighed. "I see no harm in staying here until your next match."

To say that Princess Pooch was overjoyed would be an understatement. She howled with delight, chasing her tail and running all over the suite (occasionally knocking things over, to which Joe Wildwest would always respond with a wince or similar gesture).

As Joanie ran to calm the dog down, Minister Pomposa turned to Dina, and she instantly drew her attention to the frolicking Princess Pooch and to him. "Now then!" he said with satisfaction. "It seems that you were the one to find our missing princess. As Minister Pomposa is a man of his word, you shall now receive your reward."

He drew from an expensive-looking suitcase (complete with a plush interior) the Miraculous Fossil Rock. Even from the outside, Dina could see that this was no ordinary rock. It seemed to pulse with energy, and from the few cracks in it radiated a mystical, golden energy. Bathed in its glow, Dina carefully took the rock from his hands and stared at it in awe.

"Harrumph," he suddenly said, making everyone jump. "Perhaps Minister Pomposa will go and see what charms this park has to offer…" He left for the elevator, followed closely by Princess Pooch and Joanie.

"Princess Pooch wishes to zank you for your assistance of earlier, no?" said Joanie to Dina. The princess jumped up into Dina's arms and licked her face joyously, then joined the minister and Joanie on the elevator.

"Um," Todd said uncertainly, turning to me and Pauleen. "Joanie's the one doing the actual battling, right? D'you think that Princess Pooch would be OK with that?"

Pauleen shook her head. "You know, I get the feeling that the battles have been waged by Princess Pooch herself. I guess Joanie was only pretending to do the battling."

Todd looked thunderstruck. "You mean a dog advanced in the Cup, but I got beat?" he whined. "Aw, man…" Dina couldn't help it – she started giggling. Pauleen joined in, and Todd chuckled nervously after a moment.

Joe Wildwest stepped up and cleared his throat. "Heck, Dina," he said, speaking for the first time. "Looks like you done went and saved the day again. But thanks to you too, Todd and Pauleen. Y'all gave it yer best shot."

Suddenly, a high-pitched beeping occurred from somewhere in the room. Joe hastily dug in his pocket and produced a worn Paleopager. He listened to the message for a second or two, then put it away.

"Looks like they finally got the durned hot spring at Hot Spring Heights open!" Joe crowed. "Y'all should check it out. It's a good place for soakin' yer old bones and clearin' the dust from the trail."

Todd, who had been looking dejected up until now, piped up excitedly, "Hey, yeah! A hot spring would be just the thing to heal my old wounds."

Dina couldn't help but snicker at him. "What wounds?" she asked between laughs. That earned her a rare glare from Todd. But he said anyway, "You should come check it out with me, Dina." He walked off and down the elevator.

Pauleen drew herself up haughtily. "You two have fun splashing in the pool," she said. "I'm going to get ready for Round 5!" She left right after that.

Dina glanced back at Joe, who smiled and said, "Good luck in the Cup, Dina," he wished her. "Yer gonna win. I can feel it, y'know?"

She simply smiled modestly and went down the elevator after her friends.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Hot Spring Heights**

When Dina entered the cave in which the hot spring was located, she went from freezing to unpleasantly warm. The humidity in the small resort was appalling, and she had to take her coat off to prevent herself from overheating.

"Hey, there you are, Dina!" called Todd, poking his head out from the changing rooms. "This is the biggest hot spring I've ever seen! I can't wait to get in and start soaking!"

It turns out that he didn't have to, as he ran out in his swimming trunks and leapt into the spring. He initially winced at the sudden change in temperature (from warm to scalding), then sighed contentedly.

"Oh yeah…" he said, mostly to himself. "That's the stuff… I can feel my blues just washing away… I may never leave…"

Dina walked over to the water's edge, planning on doing her soaking when she got a little more accustomed to the heat, when she caught a strange, fruity scent in the air. _Weird,_ she thought suspiciously. _Why would a hot spring smell like fruit?_

Her suspicions grew even more when the hot spring water suddenly turned a bright purple, and its consistency became more like Jell-O.

"Eww!" gagged Todd. "The water's become all goopy and gross! I'm out of here!" But he didn't move. It was only then that Dina realized that he couldn't move at all. "Ahhh! I can't get out!"

Suddenly, his face lit up as he took a sniff of the water. "It's not water," he said slowly. "It's grape jelly!" He bent his head down and managed to grab a couple of bites from the surface. "Mmm, this is delicious," he murmured. "But I don't care! You have to get me out of here, Dina!"

Dina considered for a moment before grabbing his neck. She pulled with all of her strength, but got nowhere. She stopped when Todd choked out, "Let… go… of… my… neck!"

Dina huffed and puffed after letting go, sitting down next to the pool of jelly. Suddenly, she remembered what Joe had said when they had joined the Patrol Team:

_"… I reckon they'll strike again before long. So I need y'all to keep yer eyes peeled for anything that looks like trouble. If ya smell anything fishy, just let either a staff leader or myself know, ya hear? That's the job of the Caliosteo Patrol Team."_

She stood up and prepared to leave. "I have to go and find Kent," she told Todd. "I'm sure that he'll be able to help us." Todd attempted a nod, but his chin hit the jelly halfway through.

About ten minutes later, Dina was back at the hot spring with Kent in tow. The Staff Leader took a crack at freeing Todd by himself, but to no avail.

"It's no good, dude," he wheezed. "He's trapped in there like a dude trapped in a pool of jelly." Dina shot him a look. _Ya think?_ she asked him inwardly.

Kent was speaking again. "I bet the BareBones Brigade is behind this, dudes," he said matter-of-factly. "It seems their kind of style." Dina agreed with him, saying, "Yes, that's what I was just thinking. What do we do?"

The Staff Leader thought for a bit, then hesitantly answered her question. "They probably messed around with the hot spring's water supply or something, yeah? This water comes through an undersea pipeline straight from Mt. Krakanak on Cranial Isle."

Dina nodded. "I'll have to check the volcano then," she said determinedly. Todd piped up from his edible prison, "I hear that they've installed a gondola to take Fighters into the volcano's crater. I think that's where the water supply is."

Kent continued for Todd at this point. "Sounds like a killer ride, yeah? Anyway, you'd have to go down there, 'cause it's too hot there for a snow guy like me. I'll stick around here and make sure no one drowns in jelly." Dina rolled her eyes at the usual lack of help on this rescue mission, but she complied. In a flash, she was off for Cranial Isle.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Mt. Krakanak**

Dina had just arrived on the rocky badlands surrounding the mountain when she heard a voice behind her. "Wait," it said sullenly, and she turned in surprise. It was Rupert.

"Oh, hi, Rupert," she said awkwardly. He gave her a smile in reply, then said, "Kent told me that you're off to check the hot spring's water supply. …Um, I… I want to go with you."

Although definitely pleased, Dina had to ask why. When she did, he shrugged indifferently. "I feel pity for Todd. No one deserves to be trapped in dessert." As Dina grinned, he said, "Lead the way, Dina."

She indeed led him up the slopes of the volcano, until they finally reached the spot where they had first battled the BB Brigade together. But there was something different this time around – there was a gondola, similar to the one in Rainbow Canyon, perched on the edge of the steaming crater.

Rupert got in first, and politely helped her in. They travelled down in silence, saying nothing as they felt the heat increase until it became almost unbearable. Dina could see the faint glow of lava from below.

Almost as soon as they climbed up out of the gondola and into the infernally hot crater, Rupert gasped and pointed to a distant part of the magma-filled chamber. "Look there, Dina!" he exclaimed, and she squinted in the direction in which he was indicating. Indeed, there were a bunch of BB Brigade lackeys bustling around, apparently commanded by a considerably larger goon.

"I knew I detected the stench of the BareBones Brigade on this plan," Rupert sniffed, face contorted with disgust. "They must be interfering with the hot spring's water supply. Let's make haste." Dina couldn't resist another smile. "Just like old times, huh?" she asked him, to which he shrugged and said nothing more.

They reached the opposite side of the cavern quickly, despite the rivers and channels of lava that they had to either move around or – God forbid – cross. Dina herself had to stop Rupert from slipping off a stepping-stone and falling in. He seemed relieved and grateful that she had saved his life, and she observed his face with glee.

The goons' chattering became audible as they neared the scene of the (still present) crime. "Faster, my roadies!" bellowed the larger one, obviously the ringleader of this plot. "Keep dumping that jelly powder in the hot spring well! Har har har!"

Rupert put on a burst of speed that took him right to the BB Brigade. "Halt, fiend!" he cried, and the four bad guys simultaneously turned to face him and Dina.

"Well looky here!" guffawed the leader. "You've got guts, showing your ugly mugs in a place like this!" Rupert smirked. "Ugly? You should talk," he sneered, to which Dina involuntarily giggled. It certainly was odd seeing Rupert insult someone in this fashion.

"I'm Lester, and I'm gonna rock your world!" the leader proudly proclaimed, ignoring Rupert's remark. "I'm one of the three… no, four… BareBones Brigade commanders!"

He bellowed with laugher, and his three lackeys joined in with their characteristic crow-like cackles. Dina rolled her eyes in exasperation at this exaggerated show. Rupert just shook his head.

"My plan's tighter than a snare drum!" Lester bragged. "I just fill the hot spring with jelly so that the Fighters can't move! If they want out, they'll have to EAT their way out, and by the time they're free, they'll be too fat to compete in the Cup!"

Dina, going off the deep end with this Lester creep, snapped, "These islands don't need any more fat people on them. You're quite enough, thank you."

Lester looked enraged. "Hey, no fat jokes!" he roared. "I get enough of those from the other commanders! Now get out of here while you still can, or I'll stomp your puny heads into jam!"

Rupert idly looked over at Dina. "Do you think you can handle this character while I deal with his minions?" Dina didn't even need to mull it over. She gave a single "Yes," of determination.

"Har har har!" laughed Lester. "My Boneysaurs are gonna play you the B-flat chord of pain!"

Dina ignored him and shouted, "Hopter, Radox, Tricera! Let's roll!" Her Vivosaurs appeared as one in differently colored flashes of light. Hopter, Radox, and Tricera gave out their own battle cries.

Lester brought out his own Dino Medals. "Now let's get ready to RAWWWK!"

His Boneysaurs appeared on his side of the makeshift battlefield, just as intimidating as usual. There was B-Rex, which Dina recognized from her battle with Cole. Then there was B-Brachio, a Boneysaur who was all neck and tail bones. Finally, there was B-Tricera, a ruby-red Boneysaur who angrily pawed the ground as if waiting to attack at any minute.

Dina took a quick glance at her Fighter's Watch – the number on the screen indicated that she had the first move. "Tricera, attack B-Rex with Running Smash!"

The blue herbivore rushed B-Rex, horns thrust out – but shockingly, B-Rex repelled him with a snap of its own teeth. The two combatants battled it out right there, B-Rex gnashing his fangs and Tricera jabbing with his horns, neither one able to gain the upper hand.

While they dueled, Lester commanded a Boney Rush from his B-Tricera. The red Boneysaur charged forward without hesitation, careening into Hopter with a huge crash. Angrily, Hopter got to his feet and shrieked his rage.

"That's it, Hopter! Use Beak Stab!" The angry pterosaur viciously stabbed at B-Brachio with its beak, causing the larger Boneysaur to flinch and back away.

Meanwhile, Tricera finally managed to score a direct hit on B-Rex's underbelly with his horns. Dark energy gushed from the impact site like a combination of blood and smoke, spreading out like a cloud beneath the injured Boneysaur.

Lester was working himself up into a frenzy. "B-Rex, use Boney Roar!" he called. B-Rex raised its head, forgetting its pain, and let loose with a clattering, scratching roar that caused all three of Dina's Vivosaurs to roar and moan as their ears were assaulted.

"Radox, use Radox Headbutt!" yelled Dina. The trilobite rushed B-Tricera, uppercutting him in the jaw with his helmeted head. The damage was negligible, but every bit counted, Dina supposed. Radox wasn't satisfied, though, and hissed angrily.

"Let's show 'em a real headbutt!" shouted Lester. "Give Radox a Boney Rush!" B-Tricera happily obliged, getting its revenge by smashing its head into Radox's. With a screech of pain, Radox scuttled in panicked circles before calming down again.

"We're not done yet! Crush that puny bug with Boney Stomp, B-Brachio!" Radox screeched again, this time in fear, as B-Brachio's massive feet plummeted toward him.

Tricera rushed to the scene, lashing out with his horns and stabbing B-Brachio in one of his feet. It roared as it felt the sharp point pierce its foot. "Impossible!" raged Lester. "Not so," Dina replied. "Hopter, give B-Tricera a Rock Wing attack!"

Hopter flew up into the air with difficulty, then vigorously flapped his wings, creating a sandstorm of dust and boulders that relentlessly pummeled B-Tricera. In the end, it was badly damaged, but it still managed to hold on with a third of its LP remaining.

Eyes glinting dangerously with rage, Lester told B-Rex to use Bare Tactics on Hopter. As Hopter landed on the ground, B-Rex's tail struck it in the underbelly, flinging him up into the air. Then, its jaws clamped down on one of his wings and tossed him to the ground. Hopter struggled to his feet, eyes flashing red repeatedly as he tried to keep his Berserker ability in check.

"I'll give Hopter a rest for now," muttered Dina to herself, then called to Radox. "Radox, give Lester's team a Stampede attack!"

Radox rose up, balancing himself on his blade-like tail, and shrieked shrilly at the sky. Out of nowhere came a stampeding swarm of trilobites that completely covered Lester's Boneysaurs, slashing and biting at them.

The attack lasted exactly four seconds, and then the little Vivosaurs disappeared into thin air. Freed from their coat of frenzied Radoxes, the three Boneysaurs looked badly hurt. Black energy steamed from multiple little cuts in their sides, backs, and bellies.

Lester's ears were steaming as he bellowed for B-Brachio to use Boney Tsunami on Radox. The boney tail whipped toward him with incredible force, hitting him like a bulldozer. Radox was flung high into the air, then as he fell, his body shone and dissolved into a Dino Medal.

"Har har!" laughed Lester. "One down, two to go!" Dina gritted her teeth and yelled, "That's what you think! Hopter, attack B-Brachio with Rock Wing!"

The occurring sandstorm took a massive chunk from B-Brachio's LP and left it with several broken bones along its skeleton. "Now Tricera, you use Tricera Combo on B-Rex!" The ceratopsian's horns stabbed deeply into B-Rex's empty chest cavity, then stabbed again into its stomach and smashed into its spinal chord. B-Rex shattered with a final, clattering roar, its eerie eyes winking out as its scattered bones vanished.

_Ha ha, yeah!_ Tricera cheered. _Back to the graveyard for you, you colossal fossil!_ Dina chuckled at her Vivosaur's enthusiasm at coming back from his previous losing streak. _Don't get overconfident,_ advised Hopter to his teammate. _Arrogance can topple giants._

"Hopter's right, we can't get too confident," Dina said to Tricera. Just then, Lester's B-Tricera scored a direct hit on his skin-and-flesh covered cousin. Tricera winced from the impact, but bravely staggered back into battle.

Dina commanded Tricera to use Running Smash, and Hopter to cover him with Beak Stab. Both attacks were successful – B-Tricera was so preoccupied in dealing with Hopter, that it didn't have time to counter Tricera's attack. It fell onto its side, skeleton falling apart pathetically and eyes fading.

Now all Lester had was B-Brachio. It whipped Hopter with a powerful Boney Tsunami, but Hopter leapt high above it. Dina called for him to use Beak Stab in retaliation, and his beak tore through one of B-Brachio's rib bones. The behemoth bellowed and glared daggers at Hopter.

Incensed at his failure, Lester screamed for B-Brachio to use another Boney Tsunami. The Boneysaur obediently whipped out his tail again, only to have Hopter jump over it again, this time landing on its tail and clutching it with all four of his talons.

B-Brachio roared for Hopter to get off, lashing his tail forcefully. _Not a chance, buddy!_ Hopter replied defiantly, and blasted B-Brachio with his newest attack – Rock Breath. The high-pressure beam of sand and earth hit with such power that B-Brachio's head was torn from its neck and sent spinning off into the nearby lava.

The skeletal sauropod vanished, leaving its Dino Medal sparkling on the volcanic rock. Hopter landed clumsily on his feet and rushed to join Tricera and Dina. Both nuzzled their mistress in celebration, then retreated into their own medals.

"WHAAAAT?!" Lester nearly screeched in anger and shock. "My Boneysaurs got beat like the bass player at an easy-listening concert!" Suddenly, he composed himself and looked closely at Dina. "Wait, hold the phone. You're the girl who beat Cole, aren't you?"

Dina saw Rupert stand to join her, and heard Lester's three lackeys moan, "We were pasted! These old bones are no match for the young blood!"

Suddenly, Rupert gave a shrill whistle. "Di66-R!" he called. "Destroy that machine!" Dina looked behind her in confusion, and sure enough, Rupert's robot was hovering down the path towards them. "Of course, sir or madam. It would be my pleasure to assist you," it intoned.

Lester's eyes widened as Di66-R wandered over to the jelly-pumping machine and began to strike at it with its claws. "CONTROL ALT DELETE!" it said with unusual satisfaction.

Aeros suddenly was released from his Dino Medal. _I'm going to help, Dina,_ he said, to which she nodded. Lester looked even more shocked as Aeros stomped over and began tearing at the metal with his teeth. In seconds, the machine had been completely demolished.

"Operation Fill Hot Spring with Jelly is ruined!" Lester actually did screech this time. "Ruuuuuuined!" He whirled and fixed Dina and Rupert in his glare. "Don't think I'll forget this, punks! You and I will have a reunion special someday!" Him and his lackeys booked it out of the volcano's crater.

Rupert turned to Dina. "The hot spring should be OK now," he told her. "We should head back to IliumIsland and check on Todd." Dina nodded and said, "Thanks for the help. You took on all three of those lackeys by yourself!"

Rupert shrugged and gave her a smile, one slightly bigger than usual. "Not really. I battled one, and the other two became nervous when they saw how badly I defeated their comrade." Dina laughed, and Rupert actually chuckled along with her. Then, the two of them headed back to the gondola.

Thus, there was no one around to glimpse the movement in the shadows near the demolished machine. "Stupid Lester…" a voice hissed. "I knew that this ridiculous plan wouldn't work. But… at least he agreed to let me help, and that's what I'm going to do."

-.-.-.-.-.

**Hot Spring Heights**

Rupert and Dina, after stepping off the helicopter to IliumIsland, hastily put their coats on and ran to HotSpringHeights to check on the hot spring. Sure enough, the jelly was already disappearing.

"Hey, I think I can move a little again!" exclaimed Todd as he wiggled around, trying to break free of the jelly, already loosening its hold on him.

"I knew those BareBones hosers were behind this mess!" fumed Kent when Dina and Rupert had told him their story. "The rest of the jelly should totally be melting away now. Any second now, dudes."

Indeed, Todd had succeeded in getting one arm out. Another good wrench brought his other arm out of the weakening jelly. "Ugh, I smell like grape candy!" he said with a disgusted noise. Dina, Rupert, and Kent all laughed. "I hope my Stego doesn't mistake me for dessert," he continued, laughing as well.

Suddenly, Dina felt a change in the air, as if the heat was slowly getting sucked out of the cave. "Hey, the hot spring doesn't feel that hot any more," mused Todd. "That's weird."

The sensation didn't stop there. It kept getting colder until Todd started shivering. "OK, I sh-should r-really b-be able t-to g-get out n-now!" he chattered his teeth while talking. He tried to free himself one last time, but the jelly still held him back.

"Todd!" screamed Dina as she saw what was happening. Ice was beginning to form on the water's surface. Todd panicked and thrashed around in the jelly, stretching out his arms for help. Dina and Rupert each took an arm and pulled as hard as they could. But the spreading ice was faster than they expected, and soon, Todd was trapped once more, this time in cold, hard ice.

"Whoa!" Kent said, eyes bugging. "That's totally gnarly, dudes! Where did this ice come from?" Dina smashed her foot down on the surface, but only made a small crack in the surprisingly thick ice.

"This doesn't seem to be regular ice," said Rupert softly, bending down to examine the frozen hot spring. His eyes lit up suddenly, and only Dina noticed the subtle change.

"What happened?" she asked, concerned. Rupert stood up again and looked at her grimly. "The hot spring's water supply must have been tampered with again. Judging from the thickness, speed, and consistency of this ice, I'm guessing that someone must have dumped in liquid nitrogen."

Dina gasped in horror. Todd had a substantially more dramatic reaction. "Liquid nitrogen?! I'll be trapped in here forever! I'll freeze to death! Help!"

Reaching into her pocket, Dina called on Radox for help. "Radox, break this ice with Radox Headbutt!" The trilobite appeared, jumped into the air, and smashed his head down on the ice. The blow was powerful enough to shatter the ice, leaving the pieces to bob up and down on the water's surface.

Kent pulled Todd out of the water. "He's freezing cold, dudes. We gotta take him back to IliumVillage and get him warm again." The three of them rushed out from the cave, Kent carrying Todd in his arms.

Dina's mind raced. _But the BareBones Brigade fled! So who could have poured liquid nitrogen in the hot spring?_ Her mind, somehow, rested on the mysterious creature that had almost killed her and Todd in RainbowCanyon. Obviously, it was allied with the BB Brigade.

She shook off her thoughts. All she cared about was getting Todd to safety before his temperature fell too low.

-.-.-.-.-.

**So there we have it! Todd's got a little hypothermia, but nothing that'll kill him. …Oh, yeah. Never mind.**

**Also, Pokemon X and Y have been revealed to be coming in October. I might have the new starters and Legendaries make appearances in my Pokemon fanfic…**

**Chapter 10 will (hopefully) be coming soon, where we can see if Todd survives his ordeal!**

**TRIVIA: I don't know about you guys, but when Todd said "I may never leave" in the game, I immediately thought of the BareBones Brigade. Turns out I was right, but in an unexpected way.**


	10. Return of the Champion!

**We had a bit of a cliffhanger in the previous chapter, but now, the suspense is over! Now we get to see if Todd survives his dunking in liquid nitrogen or not…**

**Also worthy of mention, this chapter formally introduces Cotton (me), the Champion of the previous Caliosteo Cup, to the Patrol Team gang. Finally!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Dina tapped her feet on the floor of the Fighter Station, mind in a whirl. Her emotions were in turmoil – she was feeling worried, panicked, impatient, scared, and a menagerie of others.

Todd hadn't come out of the emergency room for an hour. Frankly, the emergency room was rarely used, as it was usually only the Vivosaurs that got hurt. And even then, they healed ridiculously fast. But to think that such an unfortunate and rare event could have happened to one of her friends… Dina sniffled and crossed her arms tightly across her chest.

She looked up, startled, in response to Rupert shuffling closer to her. "I know you're worried about Todd," he muttered uncertainly. "But I honestly don't know if he'll be all right…"

Dina looked up and ended up staring into Rupert's eyes. "You don't have to reassure me or anything," she said quietly, although deep inside she was thankful. "Fighting the BB Brigade is dangerous business… we almost died just before we fought them in RainbowCanyon…"

Rupert's eyes widened. "You almost… died?" he asked. The two of them sat down on one of the benches. Dina thought for a bit before deciding to tell him the story. She went on to explain how the mysterious creature had slashed the rope holding up the gondola, and how she and Todd had been saved by her Hopter.

There was a long silence after she finished her story. It seemed as if Rupert had nothing to say. When he did open his mouth, Dina expected him to give her a medium-length, formal speech littered with examples of his large vocabulary.

Instead, Rupert only gave her a horrified, "That's terrible." It was spoken in a whisper.

He regained a little of his composure and said, "To think that the BB Brigade would stoop so low as to try and kill a Fighter… I don't know what to say."

Dina sniffled, feeling a little guilty that she had given him such a shock. "Then don't say anything," she murmured. "You're my friend, and being here for me is enough."

Rupert looked even more shocked. "I'm… y-your friend?" he asked in an equally quiet voice, which cracked a little to show his emotion. Dina looked into his cool yellow eyes once more and nodded sullenly.

Before Dina knew what was going on, Rupert had wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. "I've never had a friend," Rupert continued to whisper. "But… for the first time in a long, long time… I feel truly happy. I'm very lucky to have met you, Dina."

Dina smiled solemnly and let herself lean against Rupert's shoulder, feeling his gentle fingers stroke her hair, feeling soothed by the gesture of kindness. Her heart ached, not wanting this to end.

They had a few peaceful moments together when they heard a distant call. "Whoa, slow down, little dude!" It sounded like Kent in the emergency room, and it was accompanied by the sound of a door opening.

"I'm gonna LIIIIIVVVVE!" came the overjoyed scream of Todd as he rushed out from the emergency room like he was on fire. Dina and Rupert were so surprised that they couldn't even move as Todd ground to a halt in front of them.

"Isn't life great?!" he enthused. "I feel as warm as a…" His speech slowly trailed off as he saw Dina in Rupert's arms.

"Um…" Todd said, unsure of what to say. "Am I interrupting something?" Dina and Rupert looked at one another and hastily broke apart, shuffling away from each other on the bench. Dina saw Rupert's face go pink, and she knew from the heat on her own face that she was also blushing furiously.

Kent walked up to them, beaming. "Well dudes, you saved the day once more," he said. "The reputation of the Caliosteo Patrol Team is growing by the day! Totally gnarly, dudes!" He paused awkwardly and added, "Anyway, yeah. I've gotta go wax my snowboard, so I'll cheese you later, dudes."

He was gone just like that. Before Dina could say anything to Todd, she heard Pauleen calling. "Hey! I heard! I heard all about it!" When she got there, she planted her hands on her hips and admonished, "We're supposed to be a team! I'm still the most beautiful member, of course, but we're STILL a team!"

She advanced on Todd threateningly, continuing in a rising tone, "So why was I not informed? HUH?!"

Todd blanched and said weakly, "Uh, because I was trapped in jelly and then got nearly frozen to death by some liquid nitrogen…"

Pauleen calmed down. "I see," she said simply. Then she turned to Dina and said, "So Dina did all the work, hmm?"

Dina felt the heat rise in her face again. "Of course not," she mumbled. "Rupert helped. Without him, Todd would still be stuck in jelly."

A loud, sarcastic bark of laughter came from Pauleen. "HA! What made the little rich boy decide to help? Did you bribe him with gold coins or something?"

Rupert snarled at her, "I'll not defend myself to you!" But he did as he walked right up to Pauleen's masked face and growled, "I just felt like helping! That's all!" Pauleen did the wise thing and backed away. "Huh," she said indifferently. "I guess the reason doesn't really matter."

Then, Pauleen drew herself up arrogantly and proclaimed, "Well, there's no backing down now, Rupert! You helped stop the BB Brigade and save Todd for the good of the Caliosteo Cup! You're the newest official member of the Caliosteo Patrol Team!"

Rupert's face went from enraged to blank to startled with a hint of joy. "That's an awesome idea!" exclaimed Todd. "We'd love to have Rupert join us, right Dina?" Dina grinned and said to Rupert, "See? I told you so."

She had never been so happy as she saw Rupert's eyes grow wide with astonishment, letting the hope and happiness shine through. To think that this was the boy that she had wanted to throttle on her first day in the Caliosteo Islands!

"Great!" Pauleen cheered. "From now on, the four of us are the Caliosteo Patrol Team! Now let's all do the Patrol Team Cheer!"

Dina, Rupert, and Todd all looked on blankly as she commenced a little song and dance. "Go, team, go! Fight, team, fight! We fight creeps all day and night! Goooo, Patrol Team!"

Pauleen finally noticed that she was the only one dancing. "Um, guys? We all have to do this together, right?" The three of them exchanged glances and burst out laughing. Rupert managed a weak chuckle, and Pauleen gave in and laughed as well.

The four of them were having a grand old time when a cutting voice sliced through the noise like a knife through butter. "What is the meaning of this nonsense?"

Dina's heart went cold. _Oh, no…_ groaned Aeros. _This doesn't look good,_ grumbled Tricera. Sure enough, it was Rupert's father, the FossilDig CEO.

Rupert looked like he wished he were anywhere else. "What do you think you are doing, Rupert?" his father chastised him. "I've heard reports that you helped another Fighter take on the BareBones Brigade! You are the public face of FossilDig, Inc! You might have destroyed our image!"

A horrible rage took hold of Dina. It was ironic that the only time she had ever been this angry was when Rupert had first scorned Todd, but she didn't think of that. But before she could speak, Pauleen interjected.

"Don't you want your son to win the Caliosteo Cup?" she almost screamed at Rupert's father. "If it weren't for Rupert, there wouldn't even be a Cup anymore!"

If the FossilDig CEO paid any attention to her words, he didn't show it. Instead, he went on in a voice even colder than before, "If you are truly sorry, Rupert, you can prove it by winning the Caliosteo Cup. Crush your enemies, Rupert, or I will know where your loyalties lie." He stalked off without another word.

Todd growled deep in his throat. "What kind of a father is he?" he muttered. "I can't believe he said all that to you." Rupert responded quietly, "I'm used to it. Don't get involved."

He looked at his three friends with sadness in his eyes. "I cannot join the Caliosteo Patrol Team. From now on, just leave me alone." At those last few words, his voice broke and a single tear ran down his cheek. Shaking his head and squinting his eyes shut, he ran out of the building.

Dina chased after him. She caught up to him on the edge of Ilium Village, sitting alone in the snow. She joined him and said, "Rupert…"

He didn't look up, but he began to speak in a dead, emotionless voice. "You know, there was once a time when I thought Fossil Battles were fun," he said flatly. "I loved my Vivosaurs… especially Mapo… and I felt excited when I battled with them. But at some point, I stopped being a carefree child and became a freaking advertisement for my father's company." He spat grudgingly in the snow, shaking with rage.

"The more famous I got, the less I was allowed to be myself," he continued, sadness entering his voice once more. "Fossil Battles were no longer fun. They were boring. And yet… for a moment… when I was with you and your other friends, I remembered how I used to feel."

That was when he broke down sobbing. Dina's heart went out to him, and she began to think desperately, _Let him be happy again. Please, I'll never ask for another thing if I can just see Rupert smile again._ And a realization dawned upon her. The reason why she had taken to blushing whenever Rupert smiled at her… became clear to her. She was in love with Rupert.

He was talking again through his tears. "My father transformed me into what you see before you," he sniveled. "A pathetic, pompous, _heartless_ loser."

It was Dina's turn to wrap her arms around him. "Rupert, I know better than anyone else that you are not heartless. You are a kind, caring, handsome person." She gulped and blushed slightly and continued on in a strong, encouraging voice. "The reason I know all of this is because of something I just realized. Rupert, I love you with all of my heart."

Rupert slowly raised his head and looked at her. His eyes were red and his face was streaked with tears, but there was an expression of hope and awe on it. "You love me?" he whispered. "After all I've done to hurt you and Todd?"

Dina nodded firmly. Perhaps it was this simple confirmation that caused Rupert to tightly hug her close, burying his face in her neck and quietly crying into it.

They sat there in the snow for some time. Rupert slowly stopped crying and gazed once more at Dina. "This is the first time I've realized how beautiful you are…" he breathed. Dina felt tears of happiness sting her eyes. Still holding Rupert close, she swooped down and kissed him.

Her heartache intensified, then faded altogether the moment her lips touched his. She could feel Rupert flinch, then relax. A sigh escaped from him as he tenderly touched her cheek. Dina's heart fluttered as she did the same. His skin was cold, but Dina didn't notice.

They broke apart, breathing hard. Rupert's face was pink, but his eyes were shining with a light that Dina had never seen before. "If my father finds out what we just did…"

Dina laughed. She was so happy that she felt like she might burst. "Come on, Rupert. No one is going to find out. We're going to keep our relationship a secret until we can convince your father that you're more than just a walking billboard."

Rupert broke out in a series of chuckles. This was the first time that Dina had ever heard Rupert really laugh. He stood up and helped Dina to her feet as well. "You've given me new hope, Dina," he said. "You've given me a reason to keep living. I love you as well, Dina. More than I've loved anyone before."

The new couple kissed again. This time, however, they were interrupted by their Paleopagers' urgent beeping. Reluctantly, Dina and Rupert retreated from one another as they checked the devices.

Dina got the message: "_The Caliosteo Cup Round 5 matches will now begin. Joanie and Madame Pooch have been selected as Dina's opponent. Please prepare, then check in at Ilium Island's Fighter Station._"

She looked at Rupert in time to see him putting his Paleopager away. "So I'll see you around, Dina," he murmured. Dina nodded, but put a hand on his shoulder. "Rupert, if I lose, I just want to say that I'm going to cheer you on with all of my might. Don't win for your father's sake. Don't win for your company's sake. Win for me. Win for my sake."

Rupert smiled and took her hand in his. "I will."

Then he glanced at the stream of Fighters heading to the Fighter Station for Round 5, and let go of Dina's hand. "You're going to regret you said that," he joked. "Now you've encouraged me to win, and I'll crush you if we battle."

They both laughed delightedly. Dina dearly wanted to kiss him goodbye, but knew she couldn't with all the Fighters around. Instead, she touched his shoulder and said, "Good luck in Round 5." Then she ran to find Todd and Pauleen.

Her two friends were waiting for her in the lobby. "Where were you?" demanded Pauleen, and Dina responded with a grin. "Rupert and I are going to prove to his father that he shouldn't be ordered around and treated that badly," she said matter-of-factly.

Todd clapped a hand on her back. "Well then, Pauleen and I are behind you one hundred and twenty percent!" he enthused. "Now we've got to head for the stands. Good luck, Dina! We'll be cheering for you!"

Dina walked into the Common Room and walked to the end of the corridor. There, Joanie and Princess Pooch were waiting for her. "Ready to rumble, Princess?" asked Dina, bending down to address the dog. She yelped happily and licked her face.

Joanie stepped forward and shook Dina's hand. "Princess Pooch wishes for me to give you zis message, no?" she said. She cleared her throat and recited; "Fate, she is cruel to make us battle each other so. But if it must be, know zat I will not be defeated."

The announcer called for the combatants to step into the arena. Joanie seemed to draw up her confidence. "Soup de jour!" she said. "I am so very excited to see you make with ze Fossil Battle!"

The three Fighters stepped into the arena and were met with the wild cheering of the crowd. Dina noticed that the vast room was cold, and the floor was slippery with ice.

Ty Ranno and Trip Cera were doing the commentating, of course. "_Today for our first battle we have Joanie and Madame Pooch, immigrants from the Kingdom of Nomadistan, and Dina, the renowned Fighter who has been fighting the BB Brigade for the sake of the Cup,_" announced Ty. "_I can't wait to see how these two Fighters get it oooooonnnnn!_" yelled Trip, apparently forgetting that he had a microphone.

Joanie called out her Vivosaurs first – two Gomps (one blue and one brown), and a tiny little creature named Marple. It chirped pathetically, making Dina smolder. _It's so cute!_ she thought. _Beware, Dina,_ warned Krypto, who rarely spoke to her. _I sense unbelievable power emanating from that one._

"All right then! Let's do this, Aeros, Hopter, and Radox!" Her Vivosaurs appeared one by one, each with their own determined cry. Hopter was last to appear, and his screech made the crowd roar.

"_Dina's Hopter is back in action, I see. A crowd favorite, that one seems,_" commented Ty Ranno. "_I couldn't be-LIEVE it when it shook off its Berserker ability last time!_" piped up Trip Cera. "_I hope we can see some of that amazing loyalty this time around!_"

Dina glanced at her Fighter's Watch with a modest smile. She had the first attack. "Radox, give the brown Gomp a Radox Blade attack!" The trilobite rushed forward, horn glowing, and gave Gomp a quick slice. The beast roared, but remarkably, held its ground.

Then Dina's entire team suddenly slipped on the ice coating the floor and rotated two positions. Now Radox was in the front as opposed to Aeros. Balling her fists as she realized how annoying this situation could end up, she called, "Hopter, use Beak Stab!"

Hopter galloped forward with long, confident strides toward the Gomp that Radox had targeted. It speared Gomp, the critical hit causing it to rear up and bellow. It now only had a bit of LP left.

Dina ended her turn, and Princess Pooch barked an order to one of her Vivosaurs. The blue Gomp charged forward at Radox with a Gomp Combo, first ramming him with its thick head, then lashing out with a powerful blow from its thick trunk. Radox was sent flying, but he skittered back to his position defiantly.

Before Dina could give a command, her Vivosaurs slid on the ice again. Now Hopter was in the front. She told them to swap positions so that Aeros was in front. Then she commanded Aeros to give the blue Gomp an Aeros Alert.

First his tail, then his jaws struck home, instantly sending the blue Gomp into its Dino Medal. The crowd's cheering intensified, and Joanie sadly picked up the medal.

Princess Pooch barked another order. This time, Marple began to spin around in a circle, creating a small whirlpool around it. With a flick of its fins, the whirlpool rocketed forward with blinding speed, crashing into Aeros. Despite his type advantage against Marple, Aeros reeled in pain, taking several steps back before recovering.

_So Krypto was right,_ thought Dina. _I need to take down Marple quickly._ She made a quick decision, then yelled, "Radox, use Radox Blade on Marple!"

Radox shot forward once more, ready to use his horn. Impossibly, Marple dodged each swipe, each thrust. Dina was reminded of the battle between Tricera and B-Rex as Radox continually slashed at the ever-dodging Marple.

"Aeros, help Radox with a Wind Blast!" Thought was deed, and a blast of hurricane-force wind was released from Aeros' jaws. The blast connected with Marple, sending it spinning into the air, and Radox jumped after it with all his might and scored a hit with his Radox Blade. The set of two strong hits, as well as the impact with the ground, took a gigantic chunk from Marple's LP. But it still held on.

Now it was Princess Pooch's turn, apparently ordering Gomp and Marple to attack each. Marple flung another whirlpool Radox's way, and Gomp lashed out at Hopter with a Gomp Romp. Radox managed to cling to its last bit of LP, and Hopter was barely fazed by Gomp's attack.

Dina took note of the FP that she had recharged and tried to come up with a strategy. In a moment, she had the perfect idea. "Swap so Radox is in front!" she yelled, and her team did so. "Now, Radox, finish Gomp and Marple with Stampede!"

Radox shrieked towards the heavens, and allowed its newly appeared army to wreak havoc on Princess Pooch's team. When the dust and Vivosaurs cleared, Gomp was gone and Marple was further injured.

"Now, Hopter! Finish Marple with Rock Breath!" Hopter flapped into the sky and expelled a whirling storm of sand and dust from his beak. Marple twirled around in the sandstorm, and when it was over, fell to the ground with a final chirp.

Marple dissolved into its Dino Medal, which skidded across the ice to Princess Pooch's paws.

"_That HAS to be the quickest win of all time!_" screamed Trip Cera. "_Congratulations, Dina, you're heading to Round 6!_"

The crowd was on its feet, cheering wildly. Dina couldn't believe her luck – Radox was really beat up, Aeros was OK, and Hopter was barely scratched. Her entire team had made it through to the end!

Dina, in her happiness, scooped Radox into her arms and hugged Aeros' leg. Hopter nuzzled her with his beak, joining the group hug. _We did great!_ chittered Radox. _Better than great! We're all OK!_

Dina grinned. "Yep, we won! I'm so proud of how strong you've all become!" Her Vivosaurs roared with triumph, and this time, she joined in with her own cheer.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Ilium Village**

Dina, Todd, Joanie, and Princess Pooch all met in the lobby after the battle. "Great job, Dina!" Todd was clapping enthusiastically. "I always get so excited watching you battle!" Then he turned to Princess Pooch, beaming down at her. "And Princess! You really gave it your all out there!"

But Princess Pooch just hung her head and gave a pathetic whine. "Ah, but ze loss is ze loss, no?" said Joanie sadly. "Zere is nothing more we can do. Come, Princess. It seems we must be leaving for ze Kingdom of Nomadistan."

Princess Pooch let out a whine that sounded even more pathetic. Dina felt really sorry for the dog. She had enjoyed her freedom so much…

"Harrumph!" coughed a very familiar voice. Sure enough, it was Minister Pomposa, striding confidently towards them. "Your Highness, that was magnificent! Minister Pomposa has been most inspired this day! Minister Pomposa curses himself for ever doubting the grace of Fossil Battles."

There was a short silence, then everyone jumped as the minister boomed, "Very well! Minister Pomposa can see that your passion for battling is both true and strong. Princess Pooch is hereby granted permission to remain at the fossil park for as long as she wishes."

Princess Pooch howled with joy and Joanie clapped delightedly. Todd and Dina cheered. Then Princess Pooch suddenly gave Joanie a series of barks, and she gasped. "Cordon bleu! Zat idea, it is fantastique! We will go excavate ze fossil rocks right away!" And with that, Princess Pooch scampered off outdoors, followed closely by Joanie.

Minister Pomposa gave a wistful sigh. "It has been far too long since the princess has been this happy…" he muttered to himself. He suddenly turned to address Dina, and brought himself up to his full height.

In his most commanding voice, the minister said to her, "Minister Pomposa expects to see you succeed at this Cup. Do not let him down!" And he left to follow Joanie and Princess Pooch. It warmed Dina's heart to see that such an important and arrogant man was rooting for her.

And then Kent walked over. "Dudes, that was a seriously smokin' battle! Way too hot for a snow guy like me. You made it all the way to the semifinals!" He stamped Dina's Fighter's License, bestowing upon her a Fighter Rank of 7.

"One more thing," he said. "I know you're not in this for the money and stuff, but here's a prize anyway." He handed Dina a mask.

"That's a radical mask, dude. It has total eerie powers!" he said in a whisper. "If you wear the mask when you dig fossils, you'll totally see what I mean. Good luck with your next match, dude!"

When Kent had walked off, Todd excitedly informed Dina. "Know what? A new dig site's just been opened – Icegrip Plateau! That's where mythical fossils from ancient times await you in the ice!"

Dina got excited at all the new Vivosaurs she could revive. "The sound of that gives me the chills, and not because of the cold! The excitement is giving me goosebumps!" They both laughed hysterically. Dina's victory… and her new relationship with Rupert… had put her in a very good mood.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Bonechip Island**

In Don Boneyard's private quarters, Lester cowered under the skeleton's glare while Cole stood smugly on the sidelines. Lester's failure had made him look a lot better, hopefully, in the eyes of their leader.

"It seems that our little jelly plan has ended in abject failure…" said Don Boneyard dangerously. "First Cole, and now Lester… the idiocy of my commanders is becoming a bone of contention!"

Lester stole a quick glance at the exit behind him before whimpering, "I'm s-sorry, Don Boneyard!"

Cole smirked. "Don't worry, my old chum," he snickered. "I'm sure that tiny brain of yours worked as hard as it possibly could."

He stepped up to Don Boneyard and announced, "Hear me out, please, Don Boneyard! I have a new plan that is bound to work…" He went on to explain a plan that was admittedly exactly the same as his other one.

Lester protested, "But my newest plan is going to rock your socks off…" It was his turn to outline a plan that, just like Cole's, was exactly the same as his old one.

He didn't seem to think so, though. "Har har! Stick that in your mirror, wannabe!" he bragged to Cole, who scowled. Meanwhile, Don Boneyard was quietly thinking to himself over whether his commanders' new plans were as bad as they sounded.

As Lester and Cole looked as if they would get into a full-out fight, a feminine voice pierced through the din. "Fighting again? Laaaaaame, man."

An exceptionally pretty girl, about their age, stepped through into Don Boneyard's quarters, completely unintimidated. "It's like both of you are the exact same guy."

Don Boneyard's expression didn't change, yet he seemed pleased in some way that she had interrupted. "Ah, Lola," he greeted her. "Where have you been?"

Before Lola could answer, she scowled at Lester, who was blocking her from reaching Don Boneyard's platform. She pushed him aside with no effort at all and looked at her leader blankly. "…Huh? Oh, riiiiiight. Sorry, Don B., but I had to go do a little karaoke. See, if I sing for, like, six hours or so, it aligns my energy and gives me maximum power."

She popped a stick of gum in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Soooo, yeah. I think you can relax, Don B. I've got a plan that'll cancel that Cup in a flash. It's groooovy, man."

Cole smirked at her triumphantly. "I wouldn't be so confident, sister. After all, I had a great plan, and look how that turned out." Lola glared at him indifferently and replied, "Yeah, but your plan was, like, totally useless. Riiiiiight, little bro? You gotta be like me. Like, expand your mind."

Don Boneyard cut in before Cole could rudely retort to his big sister. "I must admit, Lola, seeing these two flail about causes me to lose confidence in your success… However, you are one of my four commanders, and I suppose you deserve a chance as well."

Lola blew a bubble with her gum, and it popped with a satisfying snap. "Aw, thanks, Don B. You're, like, the greatest. But," she trailed off, an evil grin spreading across her face as she spoke again. "Maybe I could use a little help from the guys…"

-.-.-.-.-.

**Icegrip Plateau**

"Hello, digadig. It's very chilly here, isn't it. Take care, diga, not to catch a cold."

Dina looked at Pauleen quizzically. Her back was to the entrance to the plateau, so she wouldn't notice her standing there listening. But Dina couldn't help thinking the same things as she had thought before in Hot Spring Heights. _Why is Pauleen talking to a frozen figure? And why has she taken off her mask?_ Indeed, Pauleen was without a mask yet again.

Dina let a dainty sneeze loose, just like that. Pauleen turned, saw her, and screamed, running for cover. She put her mask back on and came back out of hiding. She glared at Dina through her mask, hands on hips.

"You were spying on me, weren't you, Dina?" she asked accusingly. Dina gave her a slightly embarrassed nod. "You are…" Pauleen stuttered in her anger, "…you are a very terrible person! You don't spy on people when they're embarrassing themselves!"

Dina gave her another quizzical look. "What are you doing here? What's to be embarrassed about?" Pauleen glared at her for another second, then sighed. Her head drooped downwards, making her hair bob.

"Well, I'll tell you, Dina. But only because it's you." Pauleen glanced around to make sure that no one was watching, then said quietly, "I was practicing how to talk to people."

Suddenly, Pauleen was in Dina's face, frantically pulling at her hair. To say Dina was startled wasn't accurate.

"Oh, I admit it!" Pauleen wailed, stomping her foot on the ice. "I'm a fraud! I act all boastful and snobby, but I'm really shy and terrified! I can't even talk to people, because I get nervous and jittery and… everything falls apart." Her shoulders sagged hopelessly.

There was a time when Dina would have given her some snarky comment. But Dina had learned a lot about friendship and encouragement since she came to the CaliosteoIslands. She patted Pauleen on the back, trying her best to calm her down.

"Don't worry about it," she said uncertainly. "Everyone gets nervous when they meet someone…"

Pauleen interrupted her with another mournful cry. "No! I'm worse! My face gets all red and my tongue trips on itself! And the only way I can get around it is by wearing this mask!"

Dina had to ask. "What does the mask have to do with it?"

Sighing again and breathing slowly to calm herself down, Pauleen answered, "It's a magical mask that gives the wearer a cheerful personality. It's one of my village's greatest treasures. But I want to be rid of it forever, and see with my own eyes and talk with my own voice and show my own face…"

Clasping Pauleen's hand in her own, Dina said firmly, "You will get rid of it one day. You WILL." Pauleen looked up timidly. "You think so? …Heh, when you said that, I felt a little more brave."

Pauleen then jumped up and enthusiastically shook Dina's hand. "I'm going to keep trying, and fighting with everything I have. And before the Cup ends, I'm going to take this mask off for good! Thanks, Dina. You're the greatest."

She left Icegrip Plateau right after that. Dina sighed and kicked at the ground resignedly. _I'm always helping people,_ she thought. _Whether it's Pauleen and her mask, or Rupert and his father, or Todd and his lack of bravery…_

As she crossed a narrow ice bridge to the next ice floe, Aeros nervously spoke up. _Speaking of helping people,_ he said, _maybe you should help that fellow up ahead._

Dina peered a little ways ahead. Then she gasped – lying on the iceberg was none other than Professor Scatterly!

She raced up to him, to find that he was sound asleep. "Mmmm… fresh hot chips and pickled kippers… Mm, yes, quite…" he mumbled in his sleep. Dina frantically shook him, to no avail. She was about to think of something else to do when she heard Todd's voice.

"Hey, Dina!" he called, running up to her in his little green coat. "Brr, it's cold! I bet if you fell asleep here, you'd never wake up!"

Dina's expression changed to one of dismay. "In that case, we have a bit of a problem…" She gestured to the unconscious Professor.

"Holy crow!" squeaked Todd. "This old guy DID fall asleep here! Quick, we have to wake him up before he freezes to death!" Todd shook him with twice the force as Dina had.

Professor Scatterly woke up with a start. He was up on his feet in seconds. "Good heavens, I appear to have fallen asleep! How terribly careless of me, eh wot?"

Then he caught sight of Dina and Todd, and gave a bellowing laugh. "By my stars, if it isn't young Dina!" he guffawed. "It seems that I am in your debt once again, my young rescuer!" Noticing Todd for the first time, he adjusted his spectacles. "And you are a friend of Dina's, I presume?"

Todd shook his hand excitedly. "Yep, I'm Todd. Pleasure to meet you!" The Professor laughed again. "Yes, yes, quite! I am Professor Nigel Scatterly, curator of the CaliosteoMuseum."

He was silent for a while, then his crinkled face lit up. "I say, Dina, I have a capital idea! We should acquaint young Todd here with the history of the Calio Slablets!"

Dina grinned at Todd's appalled face. "Oh, I think he'd like that. Go ahead, Professor."

The Professor began his lecture. Ten minutes later, he finished up, and Todd was left with a half-asleep expression on his face. "Ugh, that was like sitting through history class…" he mumbled.

"But hold, there's more!" said the Professor, and Todd groaned. "You see, I have discovered another Calio Slablet on this very spot, just before I had fallen asleep!"

Dina's eyes widened in anticipation. _Finally, I get to know more about King Zongazonga and his kingdom! Maybe we'll find the meaning of the Majestic Vessel!_ She noticed that her Vivosaurs had also fallen silent and were listening intently.

Professor Scatterly brought out the Slablet, as old and dirty as the one Dina had found in the Jungle Labyrinth. "Aha!" he boomed. "This is Slablet number two! You couldn't hide forever, you cheeky beastie, now could you?"

Dina, joined begrudgingly by Todd, listened as the Professor began to decipher the ancient artifact:

"_Zongazonga's immortality spell unleashed a great and terrible power. With this magic, he could force his own skull into the head of another, thereby assuming his very being. By taking over bodies as his current one aged, Zongazonga assured himself of eternal life. The unfortunate victim chosen to give his body to Zongazonga was known as the Majestic Vessel. To be chosen as a Majestic Vessel was a fate worse than death, and the people feared it above all else._"

Dina, Professor Scatterly, and even Todd looked horrified. "Good heavens!" exclaimed the Professor. "It seems that Zongazonga was nothing more than a common magical body thief. Not that there's anything common about that, eh wot?"

Professor Scatterly picked up the Slablet and tucked it under his arm. "I wonder if the people of ancient times endured Zongazonga's rule across countless generations? Or perhaps they were clever enough to defeat him? I must know what happened to those poor people!"

Before he could prattle on further, Dina's Paleopager gave out its urgent beeping. "Oops, excuse me, Professor…" Dina apologized for the interruption, before listening to the message. It was from Joe Wildwest.

"_Howdy there, pards. It's me, Joe, and I'm we got a problem on our hands. I need the Patrol Team to mount up and gather in my suite immediately._"

Dina felt confident that it was nothing the Patrol Team couldn't handle – up until Todd started sneezing.

"Achoo! Achoo! Achoo! Waaaa-CHOO!" he sneezed, then started shivering madly. "My head hurts… and I'm f-freezing…" he complained, and Dina knew that his ailment was real this time.

Professor Scatterly examined him, and his eyes popped. "Sweet fish and chips! This lad is running a dangerously high fever!" Dina couldn't help thinking, _Probably an after-effect of being exposed to liquid nitrogen. Poor guy._

"Don't worry, young lass," the Professor was saying. "I can get your friend up and full of beans in no time." With that, Professor Scatterly guided Todd toward Ilium Village, Dina worriedly following behind.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Wildwest Tower**

Dina arrived at Joe's suite to find Pauleen and Joe waiting for her. "Thanks fer comin', Dina," Joe greeted her. "Now all we gotta do is wait for Todd, and…"

Dina cut him off. "Sorry, Joe. But Todd caught a bad fever and isn't in any condition to come," she explained sorrowfully.

Joe snapped his fingers. "What's that? Poor feller went and caught himself a cold? Now don't that just beat all?! …Well, I reckon this is all the Patrol Team we're gonna have today."

Pauleen murmured, "Well, Rupert should be here too…" Dina agreed, also sorry that Rupert wasn't here to help this time.

"Keep this under yer hats," Joe sighed, "but some varmint went and stole our Super Electrominites." Dina cocked her head, confused, and asked the obvious. "Um, what are Super Electrominites?"

Joe proceeded to explain. "They're special, incredibly rare ammonite fossils that put out a near preposterous amount of electrical energy. The entire fossil park runs on just three of 'em. But a little while ago, three intruders busted into the park's Fighter Stations and made off with the Super Electrominites. We still have a little power stored, but I reckon we ain't gonna last much longer."

Pauleen timidly asked, "What happens when we run out of power?" Joe shook his head and sadly answered, "Lights'll go out… VMMs won't work… Poor KL-33N will shut down… And forget about cleanin' and revivin' fossils! We'll be sittin' in the dark, literally."

Dina slapped her fist into her other hand. "We have to recover them fast, or it will be the end of the Caliosteo Cup," she stated.

Joe agreed with her. "Right you are," he said. "I've heard rumors that the culprits are hidin' out at Icegrip Plateau. Check it out for me, will ya? Good luck, y'all."

Pauleen and Dina exited the suite, very quiet. This was probably the most serious of all the problems the Caliosteo Islands had experienced so far. Dina didn't want to let Joe and all the Fighters down.

They were about to exit the Fighter Station when Dina accidentally bumped into Rupert. The two of them just looked into each other's eyes for a few startling seconds before Rupert sadly pushed past Dina. She gestured for Pauleen to wait there before chasing after him.

"I can't be with you now," he murmured when she had cornered him. "I'm trying to avoid you so my father won't get suspicious…" Dina forcefully grabbed his arm and looked at him sternly.

"Listen, Rupert," she said calmly. "Someone has stolen the Super Electrominites that power this park. If we don't get them back, the Caliosteo Cup will be over. Joe asked Pauleen and I to search Icegrip Plateau, and I want you to help… no, I _need_ you to help."

Rupert was silent. Dina pressed, "Deep down, you love battling, Rupert. You told me so yourself. And you'd be heartbroken if they canceled the Cup. It's time to show some backbone and stop being your father's puppet. I know, and you know, that I can't help you face your father – you have to do that yourself."

There was more silence. Dina let go of Rupert's arm and looked at him with resigned sadness. She was about to turn away when Rupert finally spoke. "Dina, I'm torn between obeying my father and helping to save the Cup. I have to think awhile over which choice is right. If you don't mind…"

Dina hugged him quickly. "I don't mind at all. Just consider it. Please." He nodded and kissed her on the cheek, so fast that she barely saw it. He then ran into the Cleaning Room.

Running back to Pauleen, she said quietly, "I asked him to at least consider helping us. He said that he needed to think on it." Pauleen nodded in understanding. "That's fine," she said. "But this is no time to sit around feeling sorry for ourselves. We have to go to Icegrip Plateau."

Dina nodded, determination taking the place of her negative feelings. She wouldn't let anyone destroy the Cup, not after she had been so lucky to participate.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Icegrip Plateau**

Looking around at the frozen, wind-swept glacier, Dina spotted Pauleen doing the same thing over in the distance. The other girl started waving, which Dina took to meant that she had found something. Shivering even underneath her heavy coat, she rushed over to Pauleen's ice floe.

"There you are, Dina," said Pauleen when they had met up. "I saw some creepy people ahead just a minute ago, and I think that they're with the BB Brigade." Dina balled her fists and said through clenched teeth, "Naturally. Then let's go take them down."

Pauleen nodded determinedly, then led Dina to the edge of the next ice floe. Standing on an icy precipice before them was a teenaged girl with bright orange hair, gazing off into the ocean.

The sound of their footsteps caused the girl to look idly over her shoulder. "Oh, heeeey there," she drawled, turning to face them. "You made it. I kinda figured you'd be here sooner, but… yeah."

She paced around thoughtfully as if she had all the time in the world. "Yeah, like, this is a pretty big deal and all, you know? So I was expecting someone to find us sooner."

Pauleen stepped forth and pointed accusingly at the girl. "You're with the BareBones Brigade!" she exclaimed, to which the girl replied with an amused giggle. "Tooootally. That's like, obvious. I'm one of the three BareBones Brigade commanders, maaaan."

She introduced herself as Lola with a flourish. "Sooo, did you dig my plan to steal the Super Electrominites? 'Cause I thought it was totally wicked." Lola glared at them through heavy-lidded, glittering green eyes and blew a bubble with the gum she was chewing.

"See, 'cause if you can't clean or revive," she continued smugly, "then there's, like, not gonna be a Cup, man. It's gonna totally harsh the mellow of every Fighter in this park. I can't waaaait."

Pauleen was mad, to say the least. "You're not going to get away with this, hippie!" she declared. "Now give back those Super Electrominites, or we'll settle this with a Fossil Battle!"

Lola, who initially looked insulted at the _hippie_ comment, laughed girlishly. "Oh, maaaaan! That's, like, tooooo funny!" She clicked her fingers, the ominous *snap* echoing across the iceberg. Dina and Pauleen then gasped – Cole and Lester were approaching from behind Lola!

"Well, well, well," smirked Cole when he caught sight of Dina. "If it isn't the Fighter who ruined my stylish plan! I am very excited to see you again, kiddo. You have no idea."

Lester guffawed loudly. "Har har har! I'm gonna thrash you good for what you did to me at Mt. Krakanak!"

As the trio advanced, Pauleen whispered, "This looks bad, Dina. I don't think we can battle all three of these creeps." Dina gulped and retreated a step back.

"We've won before it's even begun!" crowed Lola. "Oh, man. That, like, rhymed. Coooool."

All of a sudden, when all seemed lost, came a familiar voice from behind. "It seems that all three BB Brigade commanders suffer from a severe case of overconfidence."

Dina's heart leapt. The slightly arrogant tone… the vocabulary… it was Rupert! As soon as he appeared beside her, she hugged him tightly around the neck. "Rupert, you came back!" she squealed.

Rupert smiled. "You were right. I need to start being honest with myself. I like this Cup, and I want to face you in a battle, Dina. So I've decided it would be most disappointing if it was canceled." Dina let go of him and said in a voice broken with emotion, "Rupert, you're the best."

The three of them turned to face the BB trio. "Ha, now it's three-on-three, losers!" cried Pauleen triumphantly. Lola's expression turned from indifferent to sour. "Man, this is tooootally, like, annoying."

She took a menacing step toward Dina, her face a mix between a scowl and a grin. "Cole, Lester? It's time to take out the recycling."

Cole glared at Pauleen and replied, "With pleasure."

Lester cracked his knuckles and prepared to face Rupert. "Yo!" he answered, Dino Medals clutched in his meaty fist.

Dina threw out her Vivosaurs – Aeros, Tricera, and Hopter. Lola gave them a mild stare and summoned her three Boneysaurs. There was the strong B-Lambeo, the gigantic B-Brachio, and the clumsy B-Jara. The latter was a green-colored pterosaur skeleton that limped through the air with weak wingbeats.

With a glance at her Fighter's Watch, Dina was surprised to see that B-Jara's speed gave Lola the advantage of striking first. And she did so with relish, commanding B-Lambeo to hit Tricera with Boney Chomp. B-Lambeo slid across the ice and slammed him with a hip check, the super-effective hit causing him to growl and wince.

The ice on Icegrip Plateau, while slippery, wasn't nearly as slippery as the ice in IliumVillage's Fossil Stadium. Dina's Vivosaurs held on strong as they began to slide, then recovered.

"Good job, you guys!" Dina called. "Now Aeros, use Aeros Alert on B-Brachio!" Aeros swiped out with his tail, but B-Brachio somehow managed to dodge the hit. Following up with a savage bite, Aeros' eyes widened at that failing as well.

_What's going on?_ wondered Dina, frustrated. Then she looked at her Fighter's Watch and saw that B-Jara's support effects were increasing the two others' Speed levels. _So I take that one down first._

Lola carelessly blew another bubble, then said equally carelessly, "B-Brachio, take them for a spin, man. Use Boney Stomp."

B-Brachio's immense feet crashed down upon Aeros, causing him to wheeze. However, his strength allowed him to hold on. Dina's team rotated a few spaces due to the quake that the impact created. Now Hopter was in front instead of Aeros. _Hmm, hardly the best position to put him in,_ Dina mused.

"Hopter, rotate into Aeros' position and use Beak Stab on B-Jara!" Hopter did so, then ran at B-Jara, jumping up at the last minute and spearing the Boneysaur with his beak. B-Jara squawked and fell to the ground, then quickly recovered and resumed hovering in place.

"If that's how you want to play it…" murmured Lola. "B-Jara, hit him back with Boney Screech."

B-Jara rose into the air, threw its head back, and released a powerful sound wave that swept across the ice, blowing snow and mist in its wake. Hopter was struck full force, wincing as the chalkboard-and-nails shriek grated on his ears. Within seconds, he was unconscious, splayed out on the ice and snoring softly.

"That's better," Lola commented sweetly. "Now take him down with a Boney Tsunami." B-Brachio swung its tail at Hopter like a baseball bat, skimming across the ice as it did so, and hit the poor pterosaur with the force of a tank. Hopter was sent spinning into the air, squawking in pain and surprise, but he had taken less damage than Dina expected and was now fully awake.

Dina gritted her teeth at Lola's tactics. "Tricera, rotate to the front and use Tricera Combo on B-Jara!" Tricera obeyed with a growl, charging across the ice. His horns slammed into B-Jara, forcing it to plummet. Before it hit the ground, Tricera struck again, this time with an uppercut that sent it reeling back into the sky. The frail Boneysaur had several broken bones and "bleeding" wounds, and only a little LP left.

If Lola was angry or disappointed, she didn't show it. Instead, she smirked and said, "We totally don't go down without a fight, man. B-Jara, use Boney Beguile."

The Boneysaur, glowing eyes flickering as it fought to stay conscious, released a terrible screech that ripped across the battlefield. Cracks formed in the ice, and Dina could swear, as she covered her ears in vain, that it was aiming at _her_.

In a way, it was. When it was over, Dina could see that all the FP that she had left over had been transferred to Lola. "Damn her," she cursed under her breath. She then ordered Aeros to strike with Wind Blast, which sent B-Jara into a spiraling crash onto the ice below. Its Dino Medal skidded across the ice and hit Lola's foot.

Lola swore and pocketed it. She had a ton of FP from her earlier theft as well as from losing B-Jara. "OK, I'm, like, done playing with you," she hissed to Dina. "B-Brachio, B-Lambeo, use your strongest attacks."

B-Brachio roared and reared back, then pounded his feet on the ground. A huge, white shockwave swept toward Dina's team, but only damaged Aeros. He had a big chunk of LP taken away, but he was fine otherwise.

B-Lambeo ran at Tricera and ferociously jabbed him with each of its boney fists. Tricera bellowed, but hung on with a sliver of LP left. He began to glow orange as Parting Blow took effect.

Dina winced at the beating her team was getting. Hopter was the only one in good condition, but Aeros still had some power in him. She decided to end her turn without attacking, saving up FP without fear of B-Jara stealing it. Dina had a risky plan, for it counted on Tricera being able to survive Lola's next attack.

Lola had a triumphant glint in her eyes as she commanded B-Lambeo to finish Tricera with Boney Chomp. Dina screwed her eyes shut, not wanting to watch, when a risky idea took hold of her. "Hopter, defend Tricera!" she screamed, hoping it would work.

It did. Hopter flew between the incoming Boneysaur and its target, taking the damage for himself. Dina had been counting on his high LP, good defenses, and Earth-type to resist the Air-type blow.

Dina couldn't help smirking at Lola's expression – a fusion of shock and rage. "Tricera, take B-Brachio down with Triple Threat!" The ceratopsian had a smug grin on his beaked face as he prepared to execute her plan. _See ya, buddy,_ he chuckled to B-Brachio.

His first attack struck home, right in B-Brachio's chest. Several ribs snapped, and three streams of black energy hissed out from the wounds. The next attack was an uppercut, tearing a gash in the Boneysaur's neck. As more black energy began to pour out, Tricera leapt high into the air and dove like a torpedo, dealing a crushing blow to the spine. Combined with Parting Blow, this trio of blows was devastating.

B-Brachio shattered at the impact on his spine before being drawn back into a Dino Medal. Lola's eyes blazed at the sight, and she mercilessly commanded a Boney Shove attack.

B-Lambeo bashed Tricera with each of its fists, taking him out of the fight. "Sorry, Tricera," Dina murmured as she picked up the medal. _Don't sweat it,_ came the mumbled reply.

"Hopter, Aeros! Use Rock Wing and Wind Blast!" Simultaneously, they released their blasts of wind and stone, bombarding B-Lambeo. It was hurt, but still in the fight. When Lola commanded another Boney Shove, Aeros sustained more bad injuries.

Dina took a moment to decide what to do next. She then told Hopter to use Beak Stab, hoping that she would have enough FP on the next turn to use the attack she wanted to. Miraculously, B-Lambeo managed to avoid Hopter's thrust and retaliate with a Boney Chomp. Hopter's LP wavered dangerously close to the point where he would go Berserk.

With a glance at her FP count and seeing that she had enough, Dina didn't hesitate. "Aeros, use Aeros Special to finish this off!"

Aeros slammed B-Lambeo with his tail, crunched down with his jaws, and finished with an extravagant plume of green flame that engulfed the Boneysaur. A chilling howl came from the flaming skeleton, along with the stench of bones burning. A moment later, the flames died down, leaving B-Lambeo's Dino Medal behind.

Dina sighed, glad that the battle was over. Similarly exhausted, Aeros and Hopter dissolved into their medallions immediately. Lola glared at her with barely contained fury as she pocketed her last Dino Medal.

By this time, Rupert and Pauleen had defeated Lester and Cole in similar fashion. "This is a tooootal bummer, man," Lola growled. "All this losing is cramping my style," complained Cole, in a slightly worse mood than his sister was.

Lester was trying to keep his anger in check, and didn't say anything. "All right then, chumps!" Pauleen demanded. "Give back the Super Electrominites!" Cole and Lester scowled – clearly, they thought that they had lost.

Lola, however, started to laugh. "You think that I'd, like, execute this plan without a backup?" she giggled hysterically. "That's tooootally funny!" It took a few moments for her to regain control of herself, then she brought her fingers to her mouth and gave a single, piercing whistle.

Dina began to get that sinking feeling. Her spirit dropped further as she saw the shadow flash across the ground. _Oh, no, this is not happening…_ she thought.

Out of the blue, something swooped down in front of the sun, preventing anyone from getting a good look at it. But when it landed, the three friends gasped.

Standing in front of the BB trio was a boy the same age as his comrades, wearing a green shirt, silky pants, and a light, navy blue hoodie that flapped in the chilly wind. He also wore glasses with little skulls on the edges, the trademark symbol of the BB Brigade.

But the most shocking thing of all was that he had huge, pterosaur-like wings sprouting from his back, and savage talons that gripped the ice instead of feet.

"Greetings, and many great hellos," the newcomer chuckled. "The name's Cotton. I don't usually like bragging, but you might have heard that I'm the Champion of the previous Caliosteo Cup."

Pauleen looked horrified. Rupert was pale. Dina felt like the world was collapsing around her.

"Shocked?" Cotton chuckled again. "I would be too. You might be wondering why I decided to join the BB Brigade after winning the Cup. But I won't tell you. That information is only for me to know. Some secrets can never be revealed."

Dina and her friends couldn't say anything. Cotton continued rambling on as if they weren't even there. "The three of you have been causing a lot of trouble," he said, tone heavy with disappointment. "Well, Cole's plan was diabolical and had a lot of thought into it, which I admire, but it didn't exactly have the highest chance of succeeding.

"Lester's plan, on the other hand, was unimaginative and had literally NO chance of succeeding." His comrade opened his mouth to protest, when Cotton cut him off. "I mean, seriously. Only an idiot would try to make everyone on the islands as fat as he is. Which, by the way, is a goal that can only be achieved by spending sixteen years on a potato-chip-and-hamburger diet, as Lester has been."

Cotton chuckled again. "Lola's plan, on the other hand, actually makes sense." Lola herself ducked her head and blushed a little. "But I knew you three would try to stop it. And that's why I'm here."

His mood suddenly changed from cheerful to harsh. "If you can beat me in a Fossil Battle, we'll give back the Super Electrominites." His voice had that kind of ominous finality to it.

There was silence. Then Rupert stepped forward and said, "I accept your challenge." Dina started to protest, when he gently laid a hand on her outstretched arm. "Dina," he said firmly but not unkindly. "My Vivosaurs are in the best condition out of all of ours. I can handle him."

Dina hesitated, then backed away. She trusted him, and if he thought that he was the best candidate for a battle with the former Cup Champion, then she thought so too.

Cotton brought out five Dino Medals and intently gazed at them sitting in the palm of his hand. After a moment of muttering to himself, he selected three and pocketed the other two. "Shall we dance?" he asked, to which Rupert solemnly nodded.

Rupert sent out his three Vivosaurs first – Mapo, Allo, and shockingly, T-Rex. It was Dina's first time seeing the beast, and she could tell that it certainly looked like the powerful Vivosaur it was said to be. Even Mapo and Allo seemed a little frightened of it.

Cotton, however, looked at it with only the slightest hint of fear. "Go, my Cambrian companions!" he shouted, throwing his three Dino Medals out onto the battlefield. They were ones Dina had all seen before – Anomalo, Parapu, and Desmo.

Dina watched as the Fossil Battle started, tense with anticipation. Cotton got the first move. _Those three are speedy, but weak. Rupert shouldn't have much of a problem as long as he keeps his head and focuses._

However, her mouth dropped open as Cotton called an attack from each of his Vivosaurs. Anomalo used Anomalo Twist on Mapo, taking out a third of its LP. Then came Parapu with Parapu Punch, taking out a third of T-Rex's LP. Desmo then smashed Allo with Desmo Twirl, which took out half of Allo's LP! Suddenly, Rupert's odds of victory seemed a lot smaller.

Rupert became nervous, beads of sweat forming on his brow. Then, he forced himself to keep calm and form a strategy. Deciding that it was worth the risk, he ended his turn and saved all of his LP for a planned assault later.

Cotton shook his head and muttered, "Your funeral…" Then, he shouted in a voice that echoed across the glacier, "Anomalo, use your Team Skill, Chopper Cyclone!"

All three Vivosaurs began to glow. Tendrils of green energy connected Desmo and Parapu to Anomalo, which became surrounded in a green aura. It rose up onto its tail and flapped its fins, creating a ball of energy in front of it. Then the ball exploded into dozens of glowing blades that sliced through the air at Rupert's team.

First Allo, then Mapo, then finally T-Rex were pummeled, each retreating into their Dino Medals. Cotton had won.

"Good job, you three," Cotton happily told his Vivosaurs, who gave happy replies of their own. They disappeared soon afterward, and Cotton looked across the former battlefield at his opponent.

Rupert just stood there, blank-eyed, his face drained of color. The shock of losing so quickly had taken a lot out of him. Dina ran to comfort him, taking his arm in her hands.

She glared at Cotton and the three commanders behind him, who all looked smug. "You can't get away with this," she growled. "We'll take the Super Electrominites, even if we have to fight you ourselves."

Cotton's eyes widened at this. "Wow, you're determined. I like that. But," he suddenly smirked evilly, "we don't actually HAVE the Super Electrominites." Dina looked at him with a mix of disgust and skepticism.

"No, it's true," he insisted. Lola came up behind him and drawled, "We, like, kinda figured that we'd lose to you again, you know? So we tooootally fooled you by making you think we still had the Super Electrominites. We actually got rid of them by throwing them into the sea!"

The four BB Brigade commanders' laughter struck Dina and the other two like a fist. _There's no hope…_ she thought, a sob suddenly swelling up within her. _They've actually won. There's no way that we could retrieve the Super Electrominites now…_

All of a sudden, a huge quake struck, rocking the iceberg on which they stood. Everyone stumbled, sadness, hopelessness, and triumph replaced by terror.

"Oh, maaaan. Like, what was that?" asked Lola, eyes wide for once. "I don't know, but it don't feel right!" exclaimed Lester, looking around wildly.

The quake got worse, and Dina felt something drop out of her pocket. She saw one of her Dino Medals, Krypto's from the look of it, rolling rapidly toward the edge of the glacier. "Krypto!" she called fearfully, and she could hear his faint cry of _Dina!_

But before she could even move, he dropped into the water below.

Dina didn't have time to mourn or cry, because Cole suddenly looked toward the ocean next to them and gasped. "Wh-what is that?!" he screamed, pointing. Everyone turned to look, and gasped as well. A huge wave swelled up in the water, then a tail broke the surface. The wave exploded into droplets of water that rained down on them, revealing a titanic whale racing towards them.

Its huge maw opened, washing its horrible, fishy breath over them. Pauleen shrieked and broke into a run, slipping on the ice and falling. Cole's and Lester's eyes were wide, but Dina squeezed hers' shut as she tightened her grip on Rupert's arm and buried her face in his shoulder.

"What'll we do?" she asked him, terrified. "I-I don't know…" he whispered, reaching up to clutch her head.

The whale loomed even closer. Cotton gave a bird-like shriek of fear as he beat his wings, reaching out with his talons to grab the person nearest him, which happened to be Lola. It looked like the two of them would escape.

But they were too late. The whale opened its mouth even wider with a mournful wail, crunching down on the ice floe on which they stood.

All of them – Dina, Pauleen, Rupert, Cole, Lester, Cotton, and Lola – were swallowed into the depths of the beast, possibly never to be seen again.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Now that I look back at all the hints I've given to you, I think I made it a little too obvious that Cotton had joined the BB Brigade.**

**I thought it would fit Cole and Lola to be brother and sister - they're just so similar, in my opinion.**

**And don't you worry. Against all odds, Dina finds Krypto again :)**

**TRIVIA: We have quite a bit of RupertXDina at the beginning. I'm starting the romance a lot earlier than I expected, to be honest. I thought I'd start after the battle between the two of them, but hey. You never know where your imagination will take you.**


	11. All's Whale that Ends Whale

**See what I did there?!**

**Worthy of mention – last chapter was the longest so far, at just over 10,000 words.**

-.-.-.-.-.

It was damp, and pleasantly warm. That was the first thing Dina thought when she woke up. _Where am I?_ she groggily wondered. She struggled to open her eyes, but it was like her eyelids were glued together.

Suddenly, Dina's head threatened to burst as a long, mournful cry echoed in her ears. The incredibly loud sound vibrated deep into her heart, causing her to shudder. _Where have I heard that sound before?_ Dina asked herself sleepily. Indeed, the sound was familiar to her. _If I didn't know better, I would think it sounds like a whale-song…_

Realization hit. Dina's memory came back to her. She remembered the same song roaring in her ears as the giant whale approached her and her friends. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was the darkness, the screaming, and the terrible smell.

"Is she awake?" murmured a tinny voice from somewhere in the distance. "I don't think so," said a calmer voice, this one more masculine than the first. _Pauleen! Rupert!_ Dina realized, and she forced her eyes open.

Their worried faces were peering down at her, looking to see if she was waking up. She saw them relax as she rubbed her eyes and yawned, trying to get her body to fully awaken. Sitting up, she smiled and said sleepily, "I'm glad to see that we're all in one piece."

Rupert smiled back and helped her onto her feet. "Me as well," he replied.

"We've been swallowed by a whale!" cried Pauleen, unable to contain her hysterics any longer. She began to sob into her hands, managing to blubber out, "W-we're going to be digested! I don't want to be fish food, I'm too beautiful!" Although Dina was indeed tired, she managed to pat Pauleen comfortingly on the back.

As she did so, she took in their surroundings. The gooey, fleshy walls of their prison were a bright reddish-pink, as was the substantially squishier floor. Their weight dragged them down into the muck beneath them up to their ankles, and Dina could feel a slight tingling sensation on her feet as the chemicals of the whale's digestive juices soaked into her shoes. There was coral, seashells, and a whole menagerie of other things that once belonged to the deep sea.

The sheer unexpectedness of what happened next made Rupert and Dina jump and Pauleen stop crying – they heard an unfamiliar voice! "Well slap a fish and call me roughy!" the voice cried out from a ways deeper in the whale's innards. "I come over to investigate all this racket, and instead I find company!"

A man approached. He used a stick for aid in walking and wore old, tattered fisherman's clothes. He looked almost blind as his hair and beard covered almost all of his face. He held in the crook of his arm a small, green rubber ball with a face scribbled on it.

"Oh… um… hello," stuttered Pauleen, forgetting her earlier tears. "Do you… um… live here?" The man replied with an introduction. "The name's Robinson, and it's a right pleasure to meetcha."

Their new friend began to explain; "This whale's called the Bonehemoth, see, and he likes to chew on ice cubes. I think the cold ice soothes him when his stomach aches. Anyhow, I was doin' a bit of fishin' on an ice floe, when he swims up cool as you please. Dangnabbed fish up and swallowed me in one bite! That was near ten years ago, give or take."

Rupert's eyes widened slightly. "You've been here for ten years? By yourself?" he asked, concerned. Robinson chuckled a little. "Naw, I ain't by m'self! I gone and made myself a friend, see?"

He held up the little ball he carried with him. "Lemme introduce you to m'best friend in the whole, wide whale," he introduced, "Balliver!"

Predictably, Balliver didn't say anything.

Robinson didn't seem to think so, however. "Now, go on, Balliver, where's your manners? Go on and say hello to the nice folks now! Yeah, I know it'll be a lot louder with these new folks here. …Well, Balliver, that's good to hear! I'm happy to have company m'self!"

Dina, Pauleen, and Rupert looked on with expressions of extreme dismay on their faces. "That's just a ball with a face drawn on it!" hissed Pauleen. Rupert suggested, "Maybe his loneliness was so great that he felt the need to invent a friend." Dina said dryly, "Or maybe he just lost his mind."

Robinson stopped his one-sided conversation with Balliver and spoke to them once more. "Aw, look at me!" he exclaimed. "Flappin' m'gums while you stand ankle-deep in chum. You folks should wander around! See the sights! Get acquainted with your new home."

Dina panicked. There _had_ to be a way to get out of here! She didn't want to spend her life inside a whale like some internal parasite, feeding off of raw fish and sleeping in stomach acid!

"The Bonehemoth swallows all kinds of stuff," continued Robinson, "so if you want it, you can probably find it. In fact, take a look over yonder! That stuff came down just a little while after you did."

He pointed with his walking stick to a corner of their little chamber. There sat a VMM, a miniature fossil-revival machine, and Dina's fossil-cleaning partner, KL-33N.

Pauleen raced over to the VMM and pushed a button. Nothing happened after a few seconds, and she cursed. "Crap, the teleporter's broken," she said dejectedly. "But you can still exchange your Dino Medals here, so that's something."

Dina went over to talk to KL-33N. "What are you doing here, buddy?" she asked, perplexed. "Hello, Dina – BEEP," he replied. "I was swallowed along with this revive machine – VOOT. Even in this terrible place, I can assist with all your cleaning needs until we escape – BWOOP."

Dina beamed at him. "Gee, thanks, KL-33N!" he dipped his robotic head in a modest manner.

The two of them went over to where Robinson and Rupert still stood. "Robinson, is there any way to escape this place?" asked Rupert, cutting right to the heart of the matter.

Robinson looked nervous before he replied. "Escape? Fish guts! Why'd you want to go and do a thing like that?" He seemed to think, then went on thoughtfully, "Well, if you're serious, I s'pose you could take it up with Lord Tonzilla. He's whatcha might call the supreme ruler of this place, see? He's at the top of the food chain, and the top of the Bonehemoth's digestive tract!"

Pauleen made a gagging noise at the thought.

Robinson continued, "If you defeat Lord Tonzilla, you might be able to leave this place. But I can't imagine why you'd want to do such a thing… and neither can Balliver! That's messin' with nature!" Their crazy friend then raced off to some unknown organ or body cavity.

Instantly, Pauleen broke into a panic. "OK, I don't care what the crazy man thinks about messing with nature," she said worriedly and rapidly. "We have to beat Lord Tonzilla and get out of here!"

Rupert added, "I hate playing the optimist, but at least we can excavate, clean, and revive fossil rocks here." He patted KL-33N's head, and the robot whirred with pleasure. "Well, we should split up and prepare ourselves. This Lord Tonzilla may be tougher than we expect."

Dina nodded in agreement. "You two go on ahead. KL-33N and I will stick together and meet up with you later."

Pauleen turned to go. "Let's meet at the end of the Bonehemoth's digestive tract," she called. "Robinson said that Lord Tonzilla was at the top of its digestive tract," specified Rupert. "That's the mouth, if I'm not mistaken." The two of them ran off.

But Pauleen paused and hesitantly and let Rupert go on without her. She turned back to Dina and cautiously asked, "Dina… are you and Rupert… together or something?"

Dina was too stressed to consider lying. "Yeah, we found out that we loved each other when I went to comfort him after his father gave him that tongue lashing," she replied wearily. "Just… don't tell anyone, Pauleen? If any word of our relationship gets out, Rupert's father will find out and then we'll really be screwed."

Pauleen nodded and said, "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." Then she ran off to catch up with Rupert.

Dina sighed and looked at her four Dino Medals. _Krypto…_ she remembered. The Vivosaur that she had first met in the Jungle Labyrinth way back when was gone. For all she knew, he was still drifting through the ocean, perhaps to land in some deep trench where creatures of the deep lurked. She hated the thought of her friend floating through the vast sea, lonely and scared.

She was brought out of her thoughts by a sharp pain in her foot. Looking down by reflex, she was shocked to find a fossil rock half-buried in the gunk at her feet. Dina picked it up and examined it – she could tell that it was a Fire-type. _This might be able to replace Krypto. As much as that feels like I'm defiling his memory, I have to admit that it would be useful to have another Vivosaur to serve in his place._

That decided on, she turned to KL-33N. "Would you like to help me as I clean this?" she asked him. He twirled in the air and beeped happily. "I would be happy to assist you in cleaning - WHIRRR," he droned, a cheerful tone in his voice.

Dina thus sat down on a rock and commenced cleaning with her drill and hammer. KL-33N kept track of time for her, and when the 90 seconds were up, he informed her that she had managed to clean a perfect Nychus (body) fossil.

She gave KL-33N the fossil to hold onto, then continued walking through the Bonehemoth's tangled maze of entrails. She privately hoped that she could find the head of Nychus, whichever Vivosaur that was.

Hours seemed to pass as Dina traveled through the dark, damp, fish-smelling labyrinth. Occasionally, she would see signs of life scattered here and there – a twitching fish, a thrashing eel, and even a huge octopus, all being digested alive as they laid in pools of stomach acid.

During this period, Dina managed to find and clean a Nychus (arm) fossil. This strengthened her hope of finding the Vivosaur's head. KL-33N seemed to enjoy cleaning fossils with her more than he used to, maybe because doing so made him forget that they were in such a lonely, disgusting place.

Dina took out the Miraculous Fossil Rock that she had acquired, and had yet to clean. "Want to clean one more rock, KL-33N?" she inquired. The robot dipped his head and asked timidly, "BEEP - Dina, would you mind if I did this one alone?" She smiled and replied in the affirmative. "Just be careful with this one, it's valuable," she cautioned.

She stood in silence while KL-33N worked. Gradually, the glowing cracks in the rock widened, bringing light to the dark setting. Before the 90 seconds were up, the last bit of rock was cleaned off, and Dina could not believe her eyes.

The Miraculous Fossil was a golden skull, shining with mystic energy. Its glow seemed magical to Dina, radiating with untapped power. All Dina had to do to unlock it was to integrate it into one of her Vivosaurs.

"KL-33N," she began, taking out her four Dino Medals, "which of these Vivosaurs can possibly undergo a Super Evolution with the Miraculous Fossil?" Her companion wordlessly pointed to Aeros and Tricera.

Dina picked up Aeros from her palm and quietly asked him, "Do you want this? Do you want to Super Evolve?" His pessimistic reply was, _You already integrated a Wondrous Fossil into me, right? I don't want it to go to waste…_

He hesitated, then said confidently, _All right. I want to become stronger with you, and if this fossil unlocks my true potential, then I'll do it._ Dina smiled and replied fondly, "That's my Aeros."

She released him from his Dino Medal, allowing his immense, monochromatic self to fill the chamber in which they stood. KL-33N gently placed the golden fossil at his feet. "Commence integration!" he intoned, voice swelling with power.

Slowly, the golden fossil began to glow even more, and it rose into the air. When it was level with Aeros' chest, it transformed into a ball of gentle yellow light, which flew forward and absorbed itself into Aeros' body. His entire body flashed with golden light, and Dina had to look away at the intense spectacle. When the light had faded, Aeros was no longer there.

In his place was a sleek, yellow Vivosaur that resembled a raptor. Its mouth was filled with sharp, needle-like teeth, and most astonishingly, it had butterfly wings growing from its hips. Aeros admired his new form by bending his elegant neck this way and that, trying to glimpse himself from every angle.

_Amazing!_ he said, voice a lot more high-pitched than his original one. _I've become a Teffla! Let's see those BareBones losers try anything now!_ Dina laughed, both at his rare enthusiasm and the sheer delight of having Aeros become so much more powerful and confident.

Teffla retreated into his Dino Medal, which Dina picked up and pocketed. KL-33N quietly floating along beside her, she continued on.

But her journey was brought to a halt yet again – this time by the sound of voices not to far in the distance. Mouth tightening in suspicion, she crept stealthily along the narrowing passage, whose walls throbbed with the Bonehemoth's heartbeat. She guessed in the back of her mind that she was in the whale's esophagus by now.

Ducking behind a fan-like colony of coral, she hissed, "Damn it," under her breath. In the chamber in front of her, which was lit by a single lantern dangling from a hook caught in the whale's flesh, was the four BB commanders.

"Maaaan, this place is so not groovy," complained Lola. "It's dark and smelly and gooey. Plus I keep smelling like, fish? Toootal drag, man."

Lester took a hesitant step and ended up tripping over the unconscious Cotton. "Grr, I hate enclosed spaces," he grumbled. "I think I have closetphobia."

Cotton suddenly sat up, apparently woken up by Lester falling on him. "It's claustrophobia, idiot," he growled, then took a look at his surroundings. "That whale swallowed us! Ugh, this is the pits. Yesterday, I was a BareBones commander – respected, hated, and feared. Now, I'm about to be digested by angry seafood."

Lola looked at him with a mix of curiosity and amazement as he stood up shakily on his talons. "You, like, tried to save my life, man," she said. "No one's, like, cared about me that much to do something that totally kind before."

Cotton actually blushed at her praise. "We're all comrades," he replied humbly. "I would have done the same for Cole or Lester… well, maybe not Lester."

He stumbled on the unfamiliar ground, but managed to clench his talons and keep himself in place. The moment he did, there was an earsplitting wail that came from the Bonehemoth, and the whole world seemed to vibrate with sound. The four commanders as well as Dina clutched their heads, feeling like they were about to explode.

The wail died down to a moan, which stopped altogether when Cotton relaxed his grip on the floor. He flapped up to sit on a rock and unconsciously looked at his talons. To his shock, as well as everyone else's, they were slick with blood.

"We have to get out of here," he said decisively. "I can't even move my talons without getting a reaction from this beast."

Cole put a hand to his hair and gave a little squeak as it he pulled it away, now covered in slime. "We have to get out of here," he repeated Cotton's statement. "My hair can't stand having this much goo in it!"

Dina crawled out from behind her coral shield. "I know a way out, if you'll listen to me," she stated.

If any of the BB Brigade commanders had heard her actual words, they were ignoring them. Instead, they had focused on the familiar sound of her voice, and weren't reacting well to it.

"This is, like, all your fault!" raged Lola, green eyes blazing and showing an unusual amount of emotion. "You're a tooootal buzz kill, you know that?!"

Cole advanced on Dina threateningly and hissed through clenched teeth, "If you hadn't meddled with our plans, none of this would have happened!"

Dina glared and retorted, "I said that I knew a way out. But while we're playing the blame game, it's your fault, all of it! If you hadn't threatened to shut down the fossil park in the first place, we would never have had to go to Icegrip Plateau and get ourselves eaten!"

Lester came out with a retort of his own. "Yeah, well if you hadn't messed up my rockin' plan, we'd already be ruling the islands instead of stealing items and ending up inside of a stupid fish!"

It was Cotton's turn to snap from his perch, "There are several things wrong with that statement, Lester… Know what? I'm not going to bother this time. The point is, girl" – he turned his attention to Dina – "there wouldn't be any need to wreck the Caliosteo Cup _if there was no Cup!_ You're blindly trying to defend something that will only lead to pain in the end!"

Dina was simultaneously shocked and angry. "What do you mean, the Caliosteo Cup will lead to pain? And why are you so desperate to stop it, anyway?"

By this time, Lola had regained some of her regular indifference. "Look, our boss, Don B., told us to, like, cancel the Cup and totally drive off Fighters, so that's what we're doing, man." She searched her pockets for a second, but didn't find what she wanted (probably another stick of gum). Her mood worsened as she continued, "Soooo, like, you're not even a part of Don B.'s evil gang, riiiight? So maybe you should stay out of this and, like, stop asking questions."

Dina huffed and said with a flip of her hair, "Fine. Find your own way out of this whale." And she walked away, leaving the BB commanders to stew in their own anger.

But quick to stop her was Cotton, who flew up in front of her face and hovered there, a few inches from the ground. He pointed below him, to a puddle that Dina had almost stepped in.

"Be careful not to step in that," he said with an evil chuckle. "You'll never be able to scrape all of it off of your feet – assuming you still have feet afterward." He laughed even more at the disgusted gasp that Dina replied with.

"But seriously," he said, his expression hardening. "If only you knew the truth about the Caliosteo Cup, as I do… you would join us in a heartbeat. You are a good person, girl. Do the right thing and abandon the Cup."

Dina glared at Cotton's persistence. "Any chance you're going to tell me what this truth is?" she asked, almost rhetorically, but there was also a hint of worry in her voice. _Is Cotton right? Will the Caliosteo Cup lead to only pain in the end?_

Cotton shook his head. "No, I won't," he said in a tone that was really irritating. "You've already been proven to us as our enemy. We don't help enemies."

Dina was silent for a bit, before sighing, "I guess you really don't want to leave here, do you?" She pushed past him and headed deeper into the Bonehemoth.

The passage became pitch black, and Dina had to feel her way along the slimy walls in order to keep moving. KL-33N, who had been terrified of the BB Brigade commanders, had wisely kept silent the entire time, and now followed the sound of Dina's squishy footsteps.

It wasn't long before Dina stopped and blinked at a curious sight up ahead. It seemed as if there was something buried beneath the muck a ways ahead of her. Whatever it was gave off a soft glow, shining through its organic tomb. Dina ran up to the spot and sifted through the disgusting brew, then reached out and pulled the object.

It looked like some kind of fossil rock, but she couldn't tell what Vivosaur it belonged to, or even what type. Her hands prickled with energy, and she could tell that it was the rock itself that was producing this energy, giving off a low hum as it did so.

"What is this?" she asked to no one in particular. KL-33N's tinny voice came out of the darkness behind her. "I don't know, Dina – WHOOP. It is unlike any rock I have seen before – CHUG CHUG CHUG."

Dina decided to hold on to it before continuing. Luckily, the darkness was thinning, revealing Rupert and Pauleen standing before what looked like a large chamber beyond.

"Hey!" exclaimed Pauleen, waving her over. "We think that Lord Tonzilla is up ahead." Rupert approached her and hesitantly asked, "Are you ready for this, Dina?" She gave a single nod – she was more than ready to beat this creature and get out of the Bonehemoth.

"Lord Tonzilla, we're coming to beat you!" called Pauleen, mostly to encourage them for what lay ahead.

They ran through the small corridor and into the vast chamber that was the Bonehemoth's mouth. It was mostly empty, with thick, pointed teeth taller than two Fighters put together ringing them along the edges. A huge uvula dangled above them, occasionally dripping saliva down onto the floor. Thankfully, the whale kept its mouth closed underwater.

"Where's Lord Tonzilla?" wailed Pauleen. "Don't tell me that Robinson was lying!" Dina made a lame attempt to reassure her. "Maybe he was just a little misguided…"

Rupert held up his hand for quiet. "Look there," he said mysteriously. "Look at that tooth. Do you notice something slightly off?"

Dina and Pauleen both squinted at the tooth he was indicating. There was indeed something off. Several large, jelly-like lumps covered the tooth, leaving very little exposed. It looked like some kind of gross disease.

Pauleen ran up to the tooth and examined it. "Ugh, this whale should really brush!" she gagged. "We should help it get rid of this. It might get a cavity or something." She nodded to herself, as if making the decision final.

"Stand back, everyone!" she called out cockily. "Miss Pauleen's gonna perform some oral surgery on this fish!"

She took a step toward the tooth and kicked it.

The tooth shuddered and lifted out of its socket slightly. The three friends jumped – this wasn't what they had been expecting at all.

There was a low, gurgling screech that emanated from the tooth, and suddenly, it lifted itself entirely out of the socket! Six gigantic purple legs extended out from the bottom of the tooth, and the entire beast was revealed – a huge crab, complete with clacking, ferocious pincers and waving antennae!

Dina screamed and stumbled backwards. "Is this… Lord Tonzilla?!" gasped Rupert as he prepared for battle. The jelly-like lumps on Lord Tonzilla's tooth suddenly wiggled, then sprouted tentacles. _They're anemones!_ realized Dina, as the monstrous crustacean reached back with its pincers and plucked two off. It held the deadly creatures in front of it like weapons, and screeched angrily for having its rest disturbed.

Regaining her composure, Dina whipped out one of her Dino Medals. "Hopter, make him into seafood!" she called, and Hopter appeared with a squawk. Against Lord Tonzilla, Dina saw that they were nearly the same size.

"Give him a Beak Stab!" she shouted, and Hopter ran forward, beak held like a lance. But Lord Tonzilla was too quick, and gave him a jab with one of his anemones. Hopter shrieked and drew back, for he had been painfully stung.

"Mapo, attack!" Rupert said, joining the fray. His Mapo appeared with a roar as Pauleen also sent out a Vivosaur, her Plesio. The aquatic beast shivered its fins and growled menacingly. But Lord Tonzilla wasn't intimidated.

The giant crab lunged suddenly at Mapo, striking with one of its anemones. Mapo wasn't quick enough and got badly stung as a result. He roared again and angrily retaliated with a Conqueror Fang, crunching down on Lord Tonzilla's leg. But his exoskeleton was tougher than expected, and his teeth only made scratches in it.

"Pleiso, use Darting Blur!" screamed Pauleen. Plesio swam rapidly forward on its belly, agile enough to duck underneath those spindly legs and deal a blow to Lord Tonzilla's underbelly. But as with Mapo's attack, Plesio didn't do much damage to its foe.

Lord Tonzilla clattered forward, shockingly speedy for such an ungainly-looking creature. This time, Plesio wasn't quick enough to dodge the two solid blows he landed with his anemones. It was too much for the frail Vivosaur, and it instantly collapsed, turning into a Dino Medal.

"Rupert, let's work together to take this thing down!" Dina called, to which he nodded. "Hopter, use Rock Wing to distract the crab!" she then ordered. Hopter caused a storm of sand, wind, and slop thrown up from the floor of the Bonehemoth's mouth, which temporarily blinded the crab. The anemones on its shell instinctively retracted their tentacles, not wanting to have them subjected to the tearing winds.

"Now, Mapo!" cried Rupert. "Strike at that shell with Conqueror Combo!" His tyrannosaur obediently lumbered forward and struck the shell with a hip check. The tooth shuddered, but didn't fall off Lord Tonzilla's back like Rupert had planned.

Hopter stopped his assault when he saw Mapo moving in. So when Mapo opened his jaws again to bite the tooth, the anemones extended their tentacles once more, and Mapo got a mouthful of pain.

The roar that painfully tore from the Vivosaur's throat caused even Lord Tonzilla to cower with his head ducked. Mapo slowly dissolved into a Dino Medal at Rupert's feet – although he still had some strength left in him, it was clear that he no longer wanted to battle. Dina could understand.

Hopter held on a little longer. He struck at the tooth with his beak, impressively avoiding all of Lord Tonzilla's anemones. But Lord Tonzilla was quick to react at the blow to his shell with a sharp strike to Hopter's belly. The pterosaur grew Berserk as his LP dropped from the continuous stings.

Dina decided that it wasn't worth using Hopter against the crab – he was far too large and unwieldy, on the land and in the air, to successfully defeat Lord Tonzilla. No, Dina had another idea in mind, one that might just work.

"Hopter, come back to your Dino Medal! Radox, continue the fight in his stead!" In little more than an instant, Hopter was safely in Dina's pocket and Radox was out, hissing defiantly at his much bigger opponent.

"Radox, hit that shell with Radox Headbutt! Aim for the exposed spots!" For indeed, Lord Tonzilla had been left with two vulnerable spots on his tooth shell when he plucked his anemones off for use as weapons.

Radox jetted forward on his many legs, straight towards the crab. He swung at the trilobite with both of his anemones, but missed each time. Radox leapt into the air and crashed into the shell with all of his might. The tooth shuddered a little more, but was still wedged on tight.

Dina called to him, "One more time! I believe in you! Make this the strongest Radox Headbutt ever!" Radox replied, _Gotcha, Dina!_ He rushed forward once more, putting all of his strength into his next attack.

His skull collided with the hard bone of the tooth with a deafening *crack*. The tooth teetered briefly, then fell off Lord Tonzilla's back with a comically muffled thump. Now Dina could see why he wore the tooth – there was a huge, gaping opening in his exoskeleton there, revealing the pale yellow flesh underneath.

"Now, Radox! Give him one more Radox Headbutt where it hurts!"

Radox jumped way up into the air above Lord Tonzilla, then spiraled down headfirst. His head struck the fleshy spot dead center, and Lord Tonzilla screeched in pain.

The giant crab's grip on his anemones loosened. His claws went slack, and his body went stiff. Then, he simply keeled over onto his back, legs twitching, with a final moan.

Dina sighed in relief. _Thank goodness that harrowing ordeal has passed_, she thought. Radox scuttled up to her and gently nuzzled her leg before retreating into his Dino Medal. She picked it up with a fond smile and a realization of, _Size isn't everything, it seems._

"I fail to understand how defeating this thing will allow us to escape the whale," said Rupert, perplexed. But no one got to reply to his statement because of what happened next.

Lord Tonzilla suddenly regained his consciousness, flipping back onto his six legs. Hastily collecting his anemones and his shell, he crammed them onto his back and scuttled hastily off, back into the empty socket in which he dwelled.

But as he did so, there was a thunderous bellow. The Bonehemoth apparently felt the crab's sharp claws and legs scratching at the vulnerable hole where his tooth once sat. The entire world felt like it was shaking once again as the whale writhed.

In the midst of the chaos, Robinson approached and yelled over the noise. "You actually did it!" exclaimed. "You knocked out Lord Tonzilla! There's a flood a'comin' now, and no denyin'. Come on, Balliver, we have to get to the boat. All aboard who's goin' aboard!"

Behind them, the Bonehemoth's teeth shuddered, as if… as if its mouth was about to open.

"Perhaps Robinson is not quite the madman we took him for," Rupert chided. "You know how if your mouth gets cut, you rinse with salt water? Well, perhaps… that's what's about to happen now."

Pauleen freaked out. "We have to escape before the whale opens its mouth!" she screamed frantically, already rushing back toward the esophagus. Dina and Rupert were hot on her heels.

They passed the BareBones Brigade commanders, who looked positively confused at the sight of them running in the opposite direction.

"I don't get it," said Cotton. "That Robinson fellow said that Lord Tonzilla was the other way."

Then he heard Lola's scream, and he turned back in time to see a massive wave of water already on top of him.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Icegrip Plateau**

Dina felt the impact of the water hit her, almost stunning her into unconsciousness. She was turned this way and that as she desperately tried to hold her breath. _Will I die here with the others, inside of a whale?_ she asked herself frantically.

Then, there was a sudden force that pushed her up, higher and higher. The pressure of the water that forced her upwards was incredible. Dina squinted her eyes shut, afraid for some horrible fate to befall her.

But all of a sudden, there was the uncomfortable feeling of freezing wind slashing at her face, and the sensation of traveling through a lighter, less dense medium. Dina opened her eyes and saw the massive form of the Bonehemoth, far below her. She was free!

More like free-falling.

The exuberance of being free, out in the fresh-smelling night sky, was quickly replaced with terror as she suddenly plummeted down toward the ocean.

The impact that Dina was expecting happened much sooner than she thought, and even more strangely, it didn't feel like she had hit water. Instead, it felt hard and bony and – wait. _Bony?_

Dina glanced down and saw that she was sitting on the back of a flying skeleton. It was Lola's B-Jara! What was it doing here?

The Boneysaur lightly touched down on the edge of a glacier, allowing her to jump off and onto solid ground. It had been so long since she had felt the comforting hardness of the ice that Dina felt like cheering.

Her foot kicked against something lying next to her. She looked down and saw two sopping wet fossil rocks. One was a Fire-type Vivosaur fossil, and the other was the same type of mysterious, glowing rock that she had found earlier in the Bonehemoth.

Suddenly, she was no longer alone. Robinson, Rupert, KL-33N, and Pauleen were all there with her. Dina couldn't help grinning as her friends hugged her tightly. "Thought you folks were lost for good, I did," said Robinson bluntly.

"We were in the Bonehemoth, and there was this giant wave and… yeah," said Pauleen, a tad unnecessarily. "I told you not to mess with the natural order'a things!" Robinson scolded lightly. "You folks are lucky to be up and walkin' around, you are."

Robinson paused and said more gently, "Still, I'm a free man once more, and I suppose I owe you m'thanks. It's been ten years since I last smelled fresh air…" he trailed off wistfully.

"Welp," he said sharply, as if firmly arriving at a decision. "I best be gettin' back to my trade, eh? Them fish won't catch themselves." He abruptly walked off across the glacier without even saying a farewell.

"OK, that was a low point for the Patrol Team," Pauleen muttered. "But what matters is that we're out! We should thank our lucky stars that we're alive… oh, and Lord Tonzilla, too." Dina and Rupert readily agreed with enthusiastic nods.

"I hope the BB Brigade quartet escaped as well," Rupert said, almost worriedly. "Despite their intentions, no one deserves to be trapped in a whale."

A familiar drawl sounded out of nowhere. "Wait, you're worried about me? Reeeeally?" The trio turned as one to see the BB quartet approaching.

"What a trip, man," Lola continued with a smirk. "Maybe the rich kid, like, likes me." Of all of them, only Dina noticed Cotton's talons clench the ice tightly.

Rupert, meanwhile, looked appalled. "Uh, no," he quipped. "I already have a girlfriend," he added, with a quick sideways glance at Dina.

Cotton looked from one to the other blankly, then grinned mischievously. "You could do better, rich boy." He cackled like a demented eagle when Rupert and Dina both glared icy death at him.

"Someday, I'd love to challenge you to a Fossil Battle and see which one of us ends up the winner," hissed Dina. Cotton stopped his deranged laughter and snapped, "You wouldn't end up as anything, girl. You would just… end."

Pauleen, thankfully, changed the subject before anyone got hostile. "So. Made it out, did you?" she said carelessly.

Lester slouched forward and replied, "Yeah, some Robinson guy came along and told us to defeat a crab called Lord Tonzilla to get out." Cole gave them his customary smirk and said cockily, "He was attracted to my style like a sailor to a siren."

Cotton sighed regrettably. "Too bad we didn't actually get to fight the crab. He would have gone nicely dipped in butter…" Trailing off wistfully, he remained silent for a few seconds, then rearranged his face into a look of disgust.

"Instead, we have you to thank for saving us," he said coldly, as if he were discussing stepping on giant tarantulas. "I thought I said something about not helping enemies."

Dina smiled. "Heroes rarely listen to others," she replied. "They just do what's right."

Cotton scowled. Lola spoke up with a pop from her bubble gum. "Speaking of, like, doing what's right, you should have this." She handed Dina another of those weird glowing rocks, giving her three in all.

She gave them an innocent smile. "Um, what is this?" she asked. Cotton replied after facepalming in exasperation. "You don't know what it is, and yet the whole reason we're here is because you wanted to take it back. Is it just me, or is something wrong with that?"

Dina gasped. "A Super Electrominite?" she asked uncertainly. Cotton replied acidly, "Yes. The whale must have swallowed them before doing the same to us. Talk about rotten luck… anyhow, we can already see that you have two of them, so there's really no point in holding back the last."

Lola stepped past the three friends and stopped to stand beside her B-Jara. "Like, we heard it was you that made the Bonehemoth horf us up, riiiiight?" she asked rhetorically. "Sooo, that means you, like, saved our lives. Which is weird, because you're, like, our mortal enemies. Anyway, it's bad juju to leave a debt like that unpaid, so I returned the favor." Dina now knew why B-Jara had saved her.

"So we're all square now, riiiight?" Lola continued. "This is a one-time kind of thing, dig? Next time we meet, I'm toooootally going to kick your butt."

The four of them walked off without saying another word.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Pauleen mused, "but they're not actually that bad." Rupert rolled his eyes and responded, "We can discuss the relative merits of our enemies later. It's almost midnight, and we are badly due for some rest after today's events."

Unconsciously, Dina went over the list of things she had accomplished today – she had found and rescued Princess Pooch, saved the Caliosteo Cup from Lester's plan, stopped Todd from freezing to death, won Round 5, defeated Lola and met the previous Cup Champion-turned-villain, been eaten by the Bonehemoth, made sushi out of Lord Tonzilla, and fallen in love with Rupert. It was hard to believe that only a single day had passed since she first arrived in Ilium Village this morning.

"Tomorrow," Rupert was saying, "we should each take a Super Electrominite to an island."

Dina nodded, and the three of them, plus KL-33N, left Icegrip Plateau.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Wildwest Tower**

It was morning, and Dina, Rupert, and Pauleen were back in Joe's suite. They had just successfully returned the three Super Electrominites to the ever-grateful Staff Leaders. Now, they were once again victorious, and the Cup was safe again.

"Yeeee-haw!" exclaimed Joe. "Y'all done recovered the Super Electrominites from them BB Brigade varmints! Thanks to you, we've got power back in the entire park."

His mood suddenly became sullen. "I jus' wish I had known that Cotton had joined the Brigade… it's not easy knowin' that such a good feller has turned to the dark side."

Rupert stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Pardon me, Mr. Wildwest… but I have a favor to ask of you. I would like to be able to join the Caliosteo Patrol Team and protect the Caliosteo Cup, no matter what."

Joe grinned. "Are you kiddin'?" he asked. "I oughta be on my hands 'n' knees beggin' ya to join! … Rupert, I hereby name ya as a full-fledged member of the Caliosteo Patrol Team."

Rupert smiled shyly and murmured, "Thank you."

Joe turned to them, serious once more. "Now listen up. We only got two more rounds left in this here Cup. The BB Brigade's runnin' out of time, and there's nothin' more dangerous than a cornered rat! Y'all gotta be on yer guard, alright? Do whatever it takes to save the Cup for Fighters everywhere!"

-.-.-.-.-.

**Cranial City**

The three friends walked out into the bright morning sun, tense with anticipation for the upcoming sixth round of the Cup. They hoped that it would be announced later today.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea, Rupert?" inquired Pauleen, a little concernedly. "Your father's going to be furious."

Rupert shook his head and smiled with a mischief that seemed impossible for Rupert to smile. "Most likely, but that's all right. I've decided that it's time to show a little backbone."

His grin widened as he gently took Dina's hand. "Besides, he'd already be mad if he found out that Dina and I are in love, so it's not like things can get any worse." Dina blushed and smiled broadly.

Pauleen suddenly drew herself up proudly with a loud sniff. "All right!" she declared. "If you can be brave, then so can I! I'm going to summon my courage and take this mask off for good!"

Dina's smile widened and she nodded encouragingly. Rupert looked back and forth between them as if they had gone insane.

"I'll probably blush like crazy and stammer when I talk to people, but… I think I'm OK with that now. For the rest of the Cup, people will see my face!"

She reached up and tugged on her mask, but nothing happened.

"That's odd, it won't come off," Pauleen giggled nervously. She tried again, but with the same result.

"HNNNAAAARRRRRRRGH!" Pauleen growled, tugging on her mask with all of her strength. But it remained grafted to her face as if cemented there.

Then Pauleen panicked. "Oh my God! The mask won't come off! What do I do, what do I do, what do I doooo?!" she wailed, pacing back and forth. "I'm cursed! I'm gonna have this mask on for the rest of my life!"

Suddenly, she turned tail and fled down the street, screaming, "NOOOOOOOO!" at the top of her lungs.

Dina reached out with a hand, but she was way too late. Pauleen was gone.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Yep, these past two chapters have probably been my most creative yet.**

**I decided to screw the idea of a living uvula and instead made it a giant seafood dish. That makes it a LOT more realistic.**

**However, two things can now be explained about the Bonehemoth – the reason it ate the iceberg on which our heroes stood was because the cold ice soothes its aching tummy, and Lord Tonzilla's scratching at its gums causes it to swallow seawater, and thus letting everyone escape.**

**And I also decided to give Aeros the Wondrous Fossil Rock anyway.**

**Any Bionicle nerds out there? I used several quotes from "Bionicle Legends #4: Legacy of Evil" in this chapter, only changing them a bit to suit the situations. I'm going to use more, since there are some pretty funny ones out there.**

**Reviews are appreciated as always, it's nice hearing your feedback :)**

**TRIVIA: Lord Tonzilla is based off of both a Boxer and a Decorator Crab. Decorator Crabs cover their shells with anemones, and Boxer Crabs literally fight with them!**


	12. Digadig Lore

**This is just going to be a (somewhat) short, action-packed chapter. On the bright side, you're going to be seeing one of my little twists. Now that Cotton's been introduced, there's going to be a lot more than at the beginning – but this one has nothing to do with him.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Dina looked frantically around, trying to see where Pauleen had ran off to. But it was as if she had disappeared. She had been screaming about how she wasn't able to get her mask off – it was as if it had heard Pauleen say that she wanted it off, and didn't want to part with her just yet.

"I don't understand," said Rupert, who was still looking at her perplexedly. "Is that some kind of special mask?" Dina silently groaned. She hadn't yet told Rupert about the secret of Pauleen's mask.

She explained as briefly as she could. "It's magical, apparently. According to Pauleen, it grants her confidence and cheer. She wears it because she's scared of talking to people."

Rupert nodded, a look of comprehension on her face. "I see," he said. "So it has magical powers, does it?" He suddenly caught the look of worry on her face. "I'm concerned for Pauleen's safety as well. We should try to find her."

They had only been running for half a minute before they saw a strange old man in their path, his back to them. "Pauleen!" he was calling huskily. "Wait, digadig!"

Dina took a moment to reflect on the man's strange _digadig_ speech. Pauleen talked like that occasionally, but only when she had her mask off. _Are Pauleen and this old man related in some way?_ she wondered.

By now, the old man had turned towards them, with an expression on his face that suggested that he wasn't surprised at all by their appearance. "You are… friends of Pauleen, digadig?" he asked, to which they nodded.

"Ah, yes, it seems you are," he said, face creasing in a smile. "I… am the chieftain of the Digadig people from Vivosaur Island. I am… also Pauleen's grandfather, digadig."

That statement was a double shock for Dina. She had indeed heard of Vivosaur Island – what Fighter hadn't? And she had known about the Digadig tribe for a while, too. But now this strange old man was claiming not only to be the chieftain of this tribe, but also Pauleen's grandfather.

"The… mask that Pauleen wears is enchanted with a spell of ill will, digadig," the chieftain went on sadly. "It gives the wearer… confidence, but there is… a price, digadig."

Dina and Rupert stayed in stunned silence as the chieftain went on, "Once it takes hold, it is… impossible to remove, digadig. The mask… becomes the master."

Dina gasped loudly. "That's terrible!" she cried. "What can we do?"

The chieftain shook his head. "When I learned that Pauleen had… took the mask, I came running, digadig," he continued as if he hadn't heard Dina's question at all. "But I came… too late. I cannot pursue her, digadig. I am too old… and my back is too sore. Please, digadig!" he suddenly pleaded with wide eyes. "You must help my dear Pauleen!"

Rupert nodded. "Of course," he said. "Time is short, Dina. I'll search Mt. Krakanak if you take Rainbow Canyon. Agreed?" Dina nodded and gave him a quick hug. Then she was off, searching for any sign of her friend.

-.-.-.-.-.

**BareBones Grotto**

If anyone had told Dina before now that she could possibly be any more worried, than she would have said that they were completely mental.

But she had just heard something from a disgruntled Fighter that she had passed in Rainbow Canyon – that someone fitting Pauleen's description had attacked him with her Vivosaurs for absolutely no reason. Panic grew in Dina's heart as she asked herself, _Is the mask actually controlling Pauleen?_

A sudden realization dawned on her just then. _If I were Pauleen,_ she thought, _then I would go someplace where I wouldn't be tempted to hurt anyone – someplace where no one went. Somewhere like… the BareBones Grotto!_

Thought was deed, and soon Dina was racing across the rope bridges suspended from the gorges, heading for the spot where she had ran off Cole and his minions. Her memory served true, and soon she was entering the dark tunnel leading to the cavern.

Everything looked the same as when she had last left it. Cautiously, Dina crept around the cave, looking for some sign of Pauleen. That was when she remembered the side tunnel that she and Todd had found Cole lurking in. With a deep breath of anticipation, Dina raced through that narrow passageway.

As she suspected, she found Pauleen alone there. But there was one major difference – a black-red aura had engulfed her mask, completely obscuring it. The eyes, however, shone through with a fierce red hue. It was as if Pauleen – or rather, the mask – had been expecting Dina, as they were already facing each other.

For a moment, the dark haze faded, and Pauleen's masked face showed through. "No, Dina!" she pleaded. "Stay away from me! The mask makes me attack everyone I see!"

Dina took another step forward and shook her head. "No, Pauleen," she said sadly. "I'll only stop when that wretched mask has been separated from you."

The dark haze was beginning to reappear at the edges of the mask and spread inward with alarming speed. "No…" grunted Pauleen. "Can't… control myself…"

Her Dino Medals suddenly flew out of nowhere, each surrounded by a faint red glow. The medallions each transformed into three Vivosaurs – Berto, Berta, and Krypto. Each Vivosaur's face was surrounded by a similar black-red energy as Pauleen's mask, with red eyes shining through.

Dina's eyes flicked across the battlefield, taking in the sight of each of her opponents. But she stopped when she got to Krypto… despite the dark aura surrounding it, it seemed familiar to her. She shook her head to clear away the thought and threw out three of her Vivosaurs.

First came Teffla and Tricera, then her new, secret weapon – Nychus. The raptor appeared with a screech, flexing its claws and jumping around excitedly. KL-33N had successfully revived the Fire-type from the head fossil that had been ejected from the Bonehemoth. It was her first battle, and she was eager to taste fresh prey.

A look at her Fighter's Watch told Dina that she had the first attack. "Tricera, hit Berto with your Running Smash!" Tricera did so, smashing into Berto's midsection with incredible force. Berto staggered, then regained his footing while snarling at Tricera.

"Berta, use Skewer," came the voice, dark, deep, and guttural. Dina felt shivers tingle up her spine as she realized that the mask was speaking. But there was no time to dwell on it – Berta leapt into the air and pecked at Nychus with her sharp beak. The raptor hissed and tumbled backwards, then leapt right back into action.

"Revenge time, Nychus! Hit Berta with your Nychus Combo!" cried Dina. Nychus leapt right at Berta with an enthusiasm that, frankly, was quite terrifying. First her claws slashed across Berta's face, then she leapt into the air and dealt three swift flying kicks that pummeled the ceratopsian.

Then it was the mask's turn, commanding Berto to strike with Thick Jaws. Berto's fangs clamped Nychus, and she screamed in pain. She quickly retaliated by slashing at Berto's eye, which caused damage and forced it to release her.

"Your turn, Teffla!" Dina shouted. "Demolish Berta with Teffla Soar!" Her Super Evolver soared into the air on his wings, then dove at Berta with a savage tail strike. Berta shrieked, then the dark aura vanished into red sparkles as it dissolved into its Dino Medal.

Pauleen's mask seemed to scowl, with its aura darkening somewhat. Then, it told Krypto to use Krypto Combo, and Berto to use Thick Jaws. They teamed up on Teffla, with Krypto sending him off balance with a hip check, and then they both grabbed him in their jaws. Although the three attacks definitely hurt, only a sliver had been taken out of Teffla's LP. He had certainly powered up since he was an Aeros.

"Don't show 'em any mercy! Use Teffla Scale and Nychus Claw on Krypto!" The raptor instantly sprang to the task, ripping through Krypto's flank with her sharp talons. Teffla delicately fluttered his wings, sending waves of yellow dust at Krypto. When they hit, they seemed to almost leach his LP as if they were poison.

Nevertheless, Krypto was badly hurt. The mask commanded it to use Krypto Virus, and the purple cloud successfully infected Tricera. Dina gritted her teeth and swore. Now Tricera had a limited amount of time in the battle before he retreated to his Dino Medal.

She decided to hit hard while she still had the chance. "Tricera, use Tricera Combo on Berto!" He did so with relish, dealing a ram attack to the chest and an uppercut to the underbelly. Berto was hurt, but didn't go out of the fight.

Dina decided to end her turn by telling Tricera to rotate into Teffla's spot at the front. Now Tricera was being flanked by Nychus and Teffla.

Now it was the mask's turn again, and it struck with a Blast Breath attack from Berto. A stream of flames came from Berto's mouth and washed over Teffla. He screamed as the burning fire scorched him badly. But he still stood strong, growing angrier as the Blast Breath's enraging power took effect.

"Tricera, Running Smash on Berto! Nychus, back him up with Nychus Claw!" The two Vivosaurs rushed forward at their targets – Tricera at Krypto, and Nychus at Berto. Both enemies were injured, but they were still standing. _Not for long, though,_ thought Dina.

Berto struck again at Teffla, this time with a Vaporizer Combo. Teffla was hit by his hip check and his powerful bite. By now, the constant attacks were beginning to take their toll on the Super Evolver, and he was tiring fast.

"Teffla, try to ignore your rage and use Teffla Scale on Berto!" The butterfly-like Vivosaur nodded, obeying the sound of her voice through the haze of fury. He shook more waves of toxic dust at Berto, which badly weakened him. A final Running Smash from Tricera was enough to send him to his Dino Medal.

But after that last attack, Tricera suddenly glowed purple and keeled over on his side. The Krypto Virus had finally taken effect, and he vanished into his own medallion. Dina picked it up and put it away. Now, it was two on one – Teffla and Nychus versus Krypto.

"Nychus, give Krypto a Nychus Combo!" she called. Nychus did just that, pummeling him into submission with a series of slashes and kicks. Krypto responded with a savage Krypto Fang attack, leaving Nychus with only a bit of LP left to sustain himself.

"Teffla, finish this with Teffla Soar!" Dina's Super Evolver smirked knowingly, then swooped high into the air. He smashed his tail into Krypto's face, sending him reeling to the side. It fell onto its side with a mighty crash.

An instant later, Krypto was gone, the dark aura scattering and disappearing, and a small white Dino Medal lying on the ground. _Hang on…_ I told myself, walking over to the medallion. Something seemed even more familiar.

Dina picked up the Dino Medal, and when she did… she heard a tiny voice emanate from it. _…Dina? Is that… you?_ it asked incredulously. Her heart stopped, then beat like a jackhammer. She recognized that voice.

"K-Krypto?" Dina asked, voice wavering nervously. The Vivosaur inside gave a roar of joy. _It IS you! I never imagined that I'd see you again!_

Dina felt a surge of happiness. Krypto was back! The same Dino Medal that had dropped into the sea was sitting once more in her hands!

"How did you end up here?" she asked, grinning uncontrollably. Krypto laughed, then said, _I never would have believed this, but a whale swallowed me. Judging from the screaming, it swallowed you guys as well. I was sitting in the whale's stomach for a while before Pauleen found me. I guess she didn't know that I was originally yours. Anyhow, I knew that she was your friend, so I also knew that it was a matter of time before we were reunited again. And I was right!_

She felt a tear come to her eye, and automatically wiped it away. "It's good to have you back," she murmured. "But… if you don't mind… I'd like to train my new Nychus for a while, so you'll have to sit out in the VMM with Nigo." Krypto reassured her that it was fine with him if he took a break.

Dina slipped him into her pocket and looked at Pauleen. She was sitting on the floor, struggling once more with her mask. The black-red aura had faded somewhat, but it wasn't going away entirely, and the mask wasn't coming off yet either.

"Pauleen!" came the sudden cry. "Are you… unharmed, digadig?" Dina turned to see Pauleen's grandfather come running down the tunnel behind her, followed by Rupert.

"She's fine, I think," Dina told him. "I just defeated her… or her mask… in a Fossil Battle, but it isn't coming off. It looks like its trying harder than ever to stay on her face."

The chieftain had a sour expression on his face. "I… see, digadig," he mused. "Well, there's only… one more option left to us. We have to… get rid of the mask with… another method, digadig."

Rupert looked confused. "Excuse me, sir, but what method are you speaking of?" he asked. The chieftain laughed. "Why, it's a… dance, digadig!" he exclaimed. "A very… spiritual and traditional dance for my tribe. It can make bugs… shed their shells, among other things."

Dina and Rupert looked at him skeptically. He caught their looks and chuckled. "Once, I saw a… young warrior dance this dance with great… passion and vigor, digadig. The dance was so powerful… that it freed a young girl from the grip of stone, digadig. Otherwise… she would still be nothing more than a… statue."

Rupert looked surprised. "That's spectacular," he said in awe. "Can you possibly perform this dance for us, chieftain, and free Pauleen?"

The chieftain laughed again. "No, digadig. I am much too… old. The dance requires one who is… young of blood and strong of spirit."

Dina stepped forth automatically. "I will do it," she said. "What should I do?" The chieftain stopped laughing and told her seriously, "You must… shake your hips, digadig. You must shake your hips with as much vigor as you can… possibly muster."

This hadn't been what Dina was expecting, but she was prepared to try it. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began to shake.

What happened next was a little odd when Dina looked back in retrospect. She wasn't even aware of doing anything, she was so calm. It was like she was lost in her own calmness, as well as her desperation to save Pauleen.

But, dimly, she could hear Rupert's gasp and the chieftain's exclamation. She opened her eyes at last, coming out of her trance. There was Pauleen, sitting on the ground, with the mask lying beside her.

"It's off!" she cried, jumping to her feet. "The mask is off, digadig!" She suddenly got a stern look on her face as she turned to the discarded mask and addressed it. "I don't need you anymore, mask!" she shouted at it. "I'm going to fight on my own and talk on my own from now on! Digadig!"

Pauleen suddenly ran up to Dina and hugged her tightly, shaking her back and forth as she did so. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Dina!" she said again and again with enthusiasm rivaling anything Todd could ever muster. "I'm so happy right now, diga!"

Dina felt her face grow hot, and heard Rupert snicker as he saw this. "Heh, the mask is off, but the one who's red in the face is Dina," he laughed. Dina extracted herself from Pauleen's embrace and playfully smacked him upside the head.

"Look, Grandpa, look!" Pauleen said to the chieftain even more excitedly. "The mask came off! Diga diga digadig!" The chieftain guffawed heartily. "This makes me… very happy, diga!"

Rupert idly strolled up to the mask and nudged it with his foot. "It is hard to believe that this mask caused so much trouble for us," he commented. "This is a dangerous item. It might be best for everyone if we destroyed it here and now."

Pauleen looked absolutely shocked at the notion. "No, please!" she protested. "Don't break the mask, digadig! This is all my fault, diga. I'm the one who took the mask without permission. And besides, it diga-did help me for a while, so it's not totally evil." She turned to her grandfather. "You should take it back to Vivosaur Island, Grandpa. …Digadig?"

Rupert was reluctant, but he nodded. "If that is what you wish, Pauleen, then I will defer to you."

The chieftain was silent. But then, he spoke up. "You have… changed, Pauleen. You are… talking to others, diga-despite having no mask, digadig." Pauleen practically squealed with joy. "I know, digadig! It's awesome!" she enthused. "I owe all this to my friends, digadig. They taught me to trust my feelings, diga. They taught me how to be myself."

Dina blushed and Rupert looked at his feet. "It does… my heart good to see you grow," murmured the chieftain. "You grow before my… very eyes, digadig!"

As he bid them all farewell and meandered off, they heard a trio of identical ringing noises emanating from their pockets. They simultaneously pulled out their Paleopagers and took a look at the messages waiting for them.

"_This is an announcement concerning the Caliosteo Cup semifinals. Due to adjustments to the facilities, the matches have been postponed to tomorrow._"

Rupert didn't look disappointed, for one. "I suppose that's not an altogether bad thing," he admitted. "We could all use a rest after recent events." Pauleen smiled and said, "Tomorrow, diga… tomorrow, I'm going to make it to the finals, digadig!"

Dina smiled. _Not if I beat you first,_ she said to herself, and her Vivosaurs gave approving replies.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Campsite**

Dina got out of her tent after little more than an hour of sleep. Walking toward the fire, she saw that Rupert was there as well. "Did Pauleen ask you here as well, Dina?" he inquired, and she nodded. "Yep, I just remembered."

Suddenly, Pauleen was racing over from her own campsite. "Sorry I'm late, digadig!" she called, panting a little. "That's all right, we only just arrived ourselves," Rupert assured her. "However, I'm curious as to why you asked us here in the middle of the night."

Pauleen sighed, her cheerful attitude evaporating. "The semifinals are here, diga," she said mournfully. "And that means only two of us will advance. So no matter what, one of us will be leaving the Cup. I've been thinking about it, and it made me sad, digadig. So I thought maybe we should talk about it, diga."

Rupert sighed also and sat down on a bench facing the fire. "I, too, have been feeling some sadness about the upcoming end of the Cup," he said. Dina sat down next to him and put her arm around him. "This has been so much fun," she said, also upset. "I wish it could just go on forever. Wouldn't it be great if the three of us just kept winning?"

Her friends nodded in unison. "Me as well," said Rupert with a smile. "I knew you'd agree!" Pauleen laughed in reply, "Me too, diga!"

Rupert cleared his throat and turned toward Dina. "There's something I've never told you, Dina, but now seems like a good time to do so. It's something that I've been thinking about for a long time. Something that drives me to compete. It's even enough to make me forget about the sadness I feel for the end of the Cup. I guess you could say it's a wish… to face you in the Caliosteo Cup final!"

Dina laughed at his challenging tone. Rupert took her hand in his and continued, "You're the one who reminded me of the joy of Fossil Battles, Dina. And I also… well… think you're a special person. That's why I want to face you in my final battle."

Pauleen protested, "W-wait a second, digadig! I'M the one who's going to fight Dina in the final! It's because of Dina that I finally took off my diga-dumb mask and learned not to be so shy around people!"

Rupert scowled at her. Pauleen scowled right back. But before Dina could try to calm them down, they burst out laughing. "Heh heh," chuckled Rupert. "I suppose that it's silly to fight about it. We don't even know the semifinal matchups yet." Pauleen blushed – and this time Dina could see it – and said, "Hee hee! I guess I got a little carried away, digadig!"

Dina idly scratched her head, messing her hair up slightly. Rupert gently smoothed it back down. "We all got off on the wrong foot when we met," she began, "but you two turned out to be some of the best friends I've ever made." She straightened up and said determinedly, "Whomever I face in the final, we'll make it a Fossil Battle to remember!"

They all cheered and laughed delightedly. Pauleen suddenly yawned widely and murmured, "I'm off to bed, digadig. I'm planning on getting up early to do some extra digging, so I'll see you both tomorrow." After waving farewell, she scurried off toward her own campsite.

The moment she disappeared amongst the trees, Dina instantly swiveled in her seat to face Rupert. "I'm a special person, huh?" she asked teasingly. "Why do I get the feeling that you weren't telling the truth?"

Rupert flushed red and modestly looked at his boots. "I was telling the truth… well, partially. I do think that you're a special person, but…"

Dina finished his otherwise unfinished sentence for him. "You didn't want to mention the whole truth in front of Pauleen." He nodded slightly, still gazing at his boots. "So…" Dina prompted, letting her speech trail off.

Rupert finally looked up at her with those handsome golden eyes of his. He smiled and gently wrapped his arms around her. "… I love you so much, Dina," he whispered, and she grinned playfully.

She threw her arms around his neck and pulled herself as close as she could go to him. Her nose brushed against his as she quietly responded, "I bet I love you more."

Then Rupert smiled, an expression that honestly frightened Dina somewhat. "I'll take that bet," he said suggestively.

The next thing either of them knew, their lips were pressing against each other. Dina felt that familiar heartache as she sighed contentedly, rotating her head somewhat to deepen the kiss. And Rupert was kissing her back, just as passionately.

The only things that she felt were the heat of the nearby fire and the tender warmth of his embrace.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Ilium Village**

The cold, bitter wind swirled around Dina, making her shiver and draw her coat tighter around herself. She found herself thinking dreamily of last night, where the fire was warm and Rupert was there with her.

So distracted was she that she almost bumped into the man crossing her path. Dina looked up, about to utter an apology, when she exclaimed, "Robinson!" Indeed, the same man that she had met in, and freed from, the bowels of the Bonehemoth, was looking down at her, Balliver tucked under his arm as usual.

"Well scale m'fins and fillet m'belly!" he exclaimed in a jolly voice. "It's the Fighter that knocked out Lord Tonzilla! Dina, was it?" She nodded and grinned. "What are you doing here, Robinson?" she asked. "Aren't you resuming your trade?"

Robinson looked a little sheepish as he said, "I was hopin' the waves would our paths again. I got somethin' to tell you, see? …Balliver and I have chosen to go back to the Bonehemoth." Dina was totally shocked. "Wh-why?" she stuttered, taken completely off guard.

"I s'pose I should be grateful for m'freedom, but I just can't get used to life on land," Robinson explained. "Guess me and Balliver are made for darkness and fish guts."

Dina was even more perplexed. "But… what if you want some fresh air again and can't come back…?"

Robinson guffawed heartily, the sudden laugh making Dina jump. "Oh, don't you go worryin' about me," he chuckled. "I done figured out a way to go back whenever I want! I tricked the Bonehemoth into swallowin' one'a them fancy Teleport Tunnels. Now folks can come an' go from the Bonehemoth as they please… get a look around at my little world, see?"

There was a bit of silence, which was broken by Robinson. "Make sure ya come an' visit, now! It won't be the same without ya. Welp, good day, and may the fish always be bitin'!" He walked away, presumably toward the Teleport Tunnel, and Dina waved goodbye.

It was then that Dina's Paleopager began to ring. The message that awaited her was: "_The Caliosteo Cup semifinal matches will now begin. Pauleen has been selected as Dina's opponent. Please prepare, then check in at Ilium Village's Fighter Station._"

Dina half-grinned, half-grimaced. _Well, I'm glad to be fighting Pauleen – it's sure to be different from last time, for sure – but I don't like the idea of fighting on such a slippery battlefield again._ Teffla helpfully piped up, _Aw, Dina. Don't complain, just have a good time and make the best of it!_

Dina's face formed a full grin this time. "Thanks, Teffla," she said. "You've certainly cheered up since we first came here." And it was true – the formerly negative Aeros had developed into an optimistic Super Evolver. Maybe it was all of those integrations that she had given him, but she didn't bother to question it.

After placing Krypto into the VMM with a solemn goodbye, Dina walked into the Common Room, where Pauleen was waiting by the stadium doors. "Digadig!" she called. "There you are, Dina!"

Dina smiled and shook Pauleen's hand warmly. "You ready?" she asked. Pauleen replied honestly, "This is going to be my first battle in front of people without a mask. But that's OK, diga – your faith in me has made me brave."

She drew herself up proudly, like the old Pauleen that Dina had originally befriended, and continued, "It doesn't matter how many people are watching, I'm not going to be intimidated! I will prove to the world that I have been reborn, digadig!"

Dina shook her hair out of her face and walked up to stand beside Pauleen. Together, they entered the Fossil Stadium, ready for a true battle among friends.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Ah, the hip-shaker dance. It would have been a nice reference if that was actually what happened in the game, and not if Pauleen just mentioned it when you challenge her to a battle post-game.**

**Also, Krypto's back! I knew we wouldn't see the last of him… well, obviously. I'm the one writing the story here!**

**Review, please! Those are nice.**

**TRIVIA: Anyone out there play Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate yet? The dark auras around Pauleen's Vivosaurs are based off of Hungry Deviljho's.**


	13. Cotton's Plan

**The BB Brigade makes a reappearance – but not for the reason you FFC players might think.**

**Also, look at all these chapters of this and my HTTYD fanfic I've written in only a few weeks! I'm on fire!**

**Forestspirit of Thunderclan: Cotton is the only OC in this fanfic. To put it bluntly, he's me (Cottonmouth25). He was mutated by the Dinaurians at birth, giving him the natural abilites of pterosaurs, such as flight and the like. Also, he won the previous Caliosteo Cup, which was held a bit before the one Dina's competing in, but he fled to join the BB Brigade. Hope that clears some things up.**

-.-.-.-.-.

It had been a pretty long time since Dina had last heard the wild cheering of the crowd, or at least it seemed like it. When she and Pauleen entered the Stadium, she immediately tensed up – in a good way. Although she knew that she was in for a tough battle, it was comforting knowing that a good number of people were cheering her on.

Dina slipped a little on her way to her position on the battlefield. That reminded her that her Vivosaurs would be involuntarily rotating positions as they battled. Annoying, certainly, but there was nothing for her to do to prevent it.

Pauleen was facing her when she stopped and stood at her end of the stadium, ready for battle. Dina grinned at Pauleen's determined face – a face that she could finally see – and reached for her Dino Medals. She already knew which three she'd be using.

"Here _we have it folks – it's time for Caliosteo Cup semifinals!_" said Trip Cera, announcing as usual. "_Of note is the fact that Pauleen has mysteriously gotten rid of the mask that has come to be her identity in this tournament,_" mused Ty Ranno. "_Oh, well. Let's just get to battling!_"

Dina smirked. "Well said," she murmured, before calling out her three Vivosaurs – Nychus, Teffla, and Hopter. A well-balanced assortment of types, able to cover each others' weaknesses and strengths quite well, to be sure.

Pauleen, however, also had quite a good set of Vivosaurs to use herself – Synthos, a strange, deer-like Vivosaur, Plesio, which Dina had seen before in the battle with Lord Tonzilla, and Omias, a pony-like Super Evolver. Despite its unintimidating looks, Dina knew not to underestimate this powerful opponent.

All three of Pauleen's Vivosaurs had the edge in speed, so she struck first. After her team had regained their footing on the slippery ice, she commanded Plesio to strike Nychus with Plesio Poison. The aquatic Vivosaur spun at Nychus like a drill, slamming into her and scoring a small bite with its fangs. Nychus was surprisingly unscathed.

"Hopter, hit Plesio back with your Rock Wing!" The resultant sandstorm hit Plesio with astonishing power, taking out half of its LP.

Pauleen scowled and stamped her foot in frustration. "Omias, use Omias X, digadig!" she called, and the Super Evolver sprang into action. Quickly turning around, it whipped Hopter forcefully across the face with its long, thin tail. Hopter reeled, but steadily got back to his feet.

"Way to go, Hopter!" said Dina. "Now Teffla, finish off Plesio with your Teffla Scale!" Her own Super Evolver attacked then, lightly brushing Plesio with a wave of dust. The toxic substance drained what was left of Plesio's health, causing it to dissolve into its Dino Medal.

"_Wow, a knockout already!_" exclaimed Trip Cera. "_Dina's certainly gotten stronger since we last saw her, Trip,_" agreed Ty.

Pauleen gritted her teeth, then yelled out, "Omias and Synthos, digadig! Use Omias Dos and Synthos Strike!"

Omias ran full force at Teffla, spearing him with its central horn. Teffla stumbled back at the blow's unexpected power, then took another step back as Synthos dealt an uppercut to his chin with its own horn. The two blows had taken a significant portion of his LP, but otherwise, Teffla was fine.

"Nychus, hit Omias with your Nychus Combo!" A malicious glint sprang to life in Nychus' eyes, then she ran forward at the much bigger Vivosaur. She delivered a slash of her claws, then three flying kicks, and landed back in her starting position. A sag in Omias' posture indicated that it had been poisoned by Nychus' sickle-claws.

"Now Hopter, use Beak Strike!" Hopter half-ran, half-jumped to Omias, jabbing out with his powerful beak. Omias stumbled backwards at the critical hit that he had scored, but got right back up, albeit slowly because of the poison.

Pauleen was becoming a little more agitated. She told Omias to use an Omias X attack on Nychus. What happened next was actually pretty comical – the first blow hit Nychus, sending her spinning into the air, then the second blow hit her midair, making her tumble to another side instead. Regardless of how painful the twin blows must have been, Nychus landed right on her feet again.

_Impressive, _thought Dina, and Teffla commented that at the same time. Grinning a little at the coincidence, Dina shouted, "Teffla, use Teffla Soar!" Teffla jumped into the air, then struck Omias with a powerful blow from his tail. Omias gave a whinny of pain and retreated backwards a few steps, then cringed and shuddered as the poison damaged it. It was badly hurt from Dina's repeated attacks, which was technically Dina's strategy.

"Synthos, use Synthos Smash, digadig!" yelled Pauleen, to which Synthos replied by kicking Hopter in the beak with a strike from its back legs. Hopter's eyes grew red and he let out an enraged caw as his Berserker ability activated. Dina hoped that he'd be able to shake it off like previous times.

"Nychus, give Omias a Raptor Claw attack!" Nychus did so with glee, slashing it across the face with her sharp claws. Omias squealed and rubbed at its face with a foreleg, nursing the slight damage that Nychus had done. But Dina wasn't finished yet – she told Hopter, hoping that he'd listen, to use Rock Wing. At first, nothing happened… then the red glow faded and Hopter whipped up a sandstorm with his wings.

At this, the crowd cheered. Dina couldn't fight back her grin. Hopter settled into his position after dealing significant damage to Omias and gave her a wink. _I'll always be here, no matter how angry I get,_ he seemed to be saying.

Pauleen seemed to be getting more and more frustrated. Dina saw her pause to take a calming breath, then call out an Omias X attack. The double blows struck Hopter, dealing a critical hit each time. Dina's mouth dropped as she saw Hopter's LP go from a little under half to zero. His Dino Medal skidded across the ground and hit her foot.

Dina sighed and picked it up, murmuring, "Get a little rest," to Hopter, who accepted graciously. Watching her FP count climb, she called, "Teffla, pay Omias back with a Teffla Dive!"

Teffla smirked, then ran full force at Omias. An aura of hurricane-force wind surrounded him, and he leapt the remaining distance, smashing himself into Omias' flank. The winds roiled and whirled around the pair of Vivosaurs, then died down. Teffla landed lightly and elegantly on his feet. Omias fell to the ground with a mighty crash, turning back into a Dino Medal.

Now all Pauleen had left was her Synthos. She ordered it to use a Synthos Smash attack on Teffla, and the kick that Synthos hit him with did a lot of damage. But Teffla weakly staggered back into the battle, tired but with some fight still left in him.

"It's deer season, Nychus! Use Nychus Venom on Synthos!" A ferocious grin split Nychus' muzzle in two as she enthusiastically sprang forward at Synthos, who was watching with large, frightened eyes, too scared to move. _Deer in headlights,_ thought Dina with a quiet chuckle.

In the space of a second, Nychus had reached her quarry. She brought Synthos to its knees with a single slash of her claws, then bashed its face repeatedly with a series of midair kicks. Finally, she landed on her feet and finished the beaten deer with a gush of crimson fire from her mouth.

The flames leapt high for a few moments, then extinguished themselves. Synthos, fur badly scorched and blackened, struggled to its feet, then collapsed. A Dino Medal took its place as it vanished into thin air.

The watching crowd erupted into wild cheers. Dina practically squealed in delight as she ran forward and hugged Nychus around the neck. The raptor stumbled at the unexpected show of affection, then wrapped her arms around Dina and laughed gleefully. Teffla joined them, curling his tail around the both of them.

"You won, Nychus!" enthused Dina. "It was your first official Fossil Battle, and you won it!" Nychus looked at her taloned feet shyly, and Teffla congratulated her also. _But don't forget, Dina,_ he said. _We all worked together to win._

Dina's grin grew even broader. "How could I forget?" she said, and with that, she turned and waved to the cheering crowd. Being cheered was a thing that she had grown to love – and after this, she'd only be experiencing it one more time.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Ilium Village**

Standing in front of the roaring fire in the Fighter Station's fireplace, Pauleen and Dina were delightfully talking. "I lost the Fossil Battle, digadig," Pauleen was saying, "but I didn't lose to myself! All those people were watching me, but I didn't get nervous or flustered! Not once!" She drew herself up proudly in the way that Dina had grown to love.

"And best of all," Pauleen continued, "my face diga-didn't turn red once! This is a pretty special day for me…" She ran forward and hugged Dina, just like before in Rainbow Canyon. "Thank you, Dina. I can't wait to see you battle in the final, digadig!"

She retreated, then her cheeks went pink. "Gah!" she exclaimed. "Why am I turning red NOW, digadig?!" Dina laughed, and she joined in a moment later.

Suddenly, there was a cry of "Hey, Dina! Pauleen!" Dina couldn't help grinning widely when she heard that familiar voice. She turned around to see Todd barreling straight for them, looking as good as new.

"If I missed your semifinal battle, I'd never forgive myself!" he said to them when he had caught his breath. "So I used my willpower to beat that fever at last!" He did a little victory pose. "What now, cold? Hah!" The three of them chuckled.

Todd wasn't finished there, however. "I heard how you went into the Bonehemoth and fought Pauleen's mask!" he enthused. "Rupert told me the whole story while we were waiting for your battle to start! It's just crazy that you're a world-class Fighter now!"

There was a bit of silence, which, Todd being Todd, didn't last long. "And you're going to face Rupert in the final, right? You're my best friend, Dina, and I'll cheer you on with everything I've got!" Dina stepped forward and shook his outstretched hand.

"Hey, digadig!" exclaimed Pauleen indignantly. "I'm here, too, diga!" Todd took one look at her and blushed ferociously. "Um… well, great job too, Pauleen." Pauleen looked confusedly at Dina, who gave her a knowing wink.

The next few moments were a bit of a blur, as a bunch of male Fighters started gushing over Pauleen. The hectic period finished with an exasperated cry from Pauleen – "I can't deal with this right now, digadig!" – and then she ran off, followed closely by her new fanboys.

Dina noticed Todd staring glumly after them. "You like Pauleen, right?" Dina asked gently, putting her hand on his shoulder. He paused, then nodded. "Then go after her," she told him. "Chase off those other boys, and if you feel up to it… then maybe tell her how you feel."

Todd looked at her, then slowly nodded again. "You're right, Dina," he said with a new smile spreading across his face. "Thanks for the advice. See ya!" He then dashed off in the direction Pauleen had gone.

Dina sighed happily and idly crossed her arms as she watched his retreating figure. She didn't have much time to think, though, because Kent was there beside her all of a sudden.

"Nice work, little dude," he said, pumping her arm rapidly. "That was some epic ownage you did out there!" Dina stumbled and checked her arm to make sure nothing was broken.

"Anyway," Kent went on casually, "here's a prize for clearing your semifinal match." He handed her a Wondrous Fossil Rock. Her eyes widened as she took the rock and placed it in her Fossil Case. Then, Kent took her Fighter's License and stamped it, officially recognizing her as a Rank 9 Fighter.

"Just one more match to go!" Kent encouraged her, giving her a jaunty thumbs-up. "I know you'll totally shred it, dude. I have faith."

Dina watched him leave until she heard the sound of muffled cheering, presumably coming from the Stadium. Somehow, she wasn't surprised to see Rupert emerging from the Common Room doors.

He caught sight of her standing alone in the lobby, and walked over. "I won," he said simply, with the ghost of a smile on his face. "So I guess this means that I'll be facing you in the final. Good luck, Dina. I'm really looking forward to it."

Dina held out her arms hopefully. Rupert smiled and hugged her close. It was like this for a couple of seconds, before they separated from each other.

"See you around, Rupert," said Dina. He smiled again, then walked out of the lobby.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Bonechip Island**

If it were possible for a skull to form facial expressions, Don Boneyard would have looked furious. Cole and Lester knew that he was silently raging inside, and kept as far away from him as possible, while at the same time looking like they were respectfully standing before him. This wasn't as easy as it sounds.

Only Lola was unintimidated. "Soooo, it looks like Operation Lights Out was kind of a bummer, huh?" she asked casually, staring at Don Boneyard through her half-closed eyes.

But before Don Boneyard could explode in rage, there was another voice. "Calm down, Don Boneyard." It was Cotton, and he entered the chamber, flying only an inch above the floor. "We know that you're angry, and that's to be expected. But we want the Cup to end as much as you do."

Don Boneyard's mood, apparently, wasn't helped much. "Idiots!" he muttered. "Perhaps you're not aware that the Caliosteo Cup final is about to take place? I wanted Fighters slinking away from the islands in disgrace!"

Cotton rolled his eyes as he stepped closer to the skeleton's platform. "Look, we're all desperate to stop the Cup. That's why I've come up with a rather… unique plan. It's a bit of a long shot, and the risks are high… but if we can pull it off, it's going to be a while before they can even get their VMMs working again."

Despite himself, Don Boneyard seemed interested. "…I'm listening," he said finally.

The other three BB commanders allowed themselves to step closer to Cotton as he said, "I'm going to need my three comrades here to help… this will be big."

Smirking, he revealed his plan. When he was done, the three commanders had similarly evil smiles on their faces. Don Boneyard looked hesitant, but he eventually gave the former Cup Champion permission to go ahead with his plan…

-.-.-.-.-.

**Dusty Dunes**

Of all the places on Cranial Isle, Dina had to say that Dusty Dunes was perhaps the worst. The sweltering heat seemed especially prominent here, and there was the fact that there was not even a drop of water, either sitting on the ground or suspended in the air as vapor. Then there was the sand, which made the ground slippery and unstable.

Dina had been fossil hunting for ten minutes now, without any luck. Just as she was about to give up and call it a day, she spotted something on the distant horizon. It looked familiar, and it was only when she ran closer that she indeed saw it was something she recognized.

It was good old Professor Scatterly.

"Good heavens!" he mumbled. "It seems I've bungled things up well and good this time! I meant to grab my water bottle, but instead I grabbed my flyswatter! That will do me little good in a place such as this…"

Dina, with a mental facepalm, started searching for the little water bottle that she had brought with her. Meanwhile, Professor Scatterly kept talking to himself. "My legs are weak… my eyes grow dim… my mustache withers… Yes, it seems death stalks me once more. T-tell science… I love her…"

Crouching down, Dina held her water bottle up to his face. Almost immediately, his eyes shot open. "W-water! It's water!" He ravenously drained the entire bottle, then hopped to his feet, apparently his old jolly self once more.

"I say, but that hit the spot!" he exclaimed happily. "Thank you for pulling me from the jaws of oblivion, eh wot?" Then he squinted and gave an "oh ho!" of realization.

"What's this? You're Dina! It seems you've rescued me again, old chum!" he pumped her hand furiously, clearly grateful. Despite herself, Dina smiled.

"So what are you doing in an inhospitable place like this?" Dina wondered. Professor Scatterly replied with a laugh. "Why, to track down a Calio Slablet, of course! My sonar detected one of the fair beasties nearby, so I grabbed my shovel and made to dig."

Dina grew excited. She couldn't wait to finally solve the mystery of King Zongazonga! "Here, I can dig it up for you," she offered, taking out her pickaxe once more. "I've been doing some excavating here myself, so digging through the sand has become kind of easy for me now."

The professor guffawed heartily. "Indeed, I wager digging at Dusty Dunes should be little problem for one of your caliber! According to my sonar, the Slablet should be just in front of me. I say, do your thing!"

With a single swing of her pickaxe, Dina plowed through the sand and struck something hard. One forceful tug later, she had unearthed the Calio Slablet, sand still pouring off of it.

"Excelsior!" the professor boomed. "That's Slablet number four! Now we'll learn what happened to Zongazonga and the bodies he seized!" He cleared his throat, and began to read aloud:

"_The people finally rose up as one against Zongazonga's reign of terror. Though the struggle was long and difficult, they ultimately succeeded in defeating Zongazonga. To prevent him from ever stealing bodies again, his skull was sealed in a stone chest. They then constructed the giant Stone Pyramid and locked him inside._"

Professor Scatterly looked delighted. "So Zongazonga was overthrown by his own people, eh?" he chuckled. "It does this old man good to see these people taking a despot!"

He paused to think. "And then there's this bit about sealing his skull in the Stone Pyramid. …Quite odd, that. I don't know what it is, but my scientific curiosity is quite piqued!" Professor Scatterly tucked the Slablet under his arm and continued, "Well, I suppose I should seek out this Stone Pyramid place."

Dina giggled. "Just don't go opening any stone chests, OK?" The professor laughed right along with her. "Yes, you can be sure that – eh? What's that?"

They suddenly fell quiet as they heard a shrill screech echo from high above them. As one, they craned their necks to look up at the sky. What they saw confounded them – a huge, flying creature majestically soaring on the desert thermals.

"Is that… a Vivosaur?" asked Dina to no one in particular. "Hmm," said Professor Scatterly thoughtfully. "I don't claim to be a Vivosaur expert, but I do believe that this particular beast is called Nycto Ace."

Dina blinked at the familiar name. She had indeed heard of Nycto Ace – a powerful, elegant Super Evolver. In fact, the only Nycto Ace she had ever seen was on television a few months ago, and it had been under the ownership of… "Cotton," Dina breathed.

Instantly, she twisted her head to look in the direction of Cranial City, where she could see the top of Wildwest Tower peeking over the desert cliffs. She saw the Nycto Ace leisurely fly over in that direction, and when she looked even closer – she could see a faint, grey wisp of smoke curling into the air near the tower.

"Oh damn," she whispered in horror. "The BB Brigade is here!" She took off at a run, waving farewell to a simultaneously perplexed and horrified Professor Scatterly.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Cranial City**

It was worse than Dina had imagined. The Fighters in Cranial City were in a huge panic, hysterically running back and forth, screaming their lungs out. Smoke rose from several buildings, which were all but demolished.

But the main reason Dina's eyes had widened was at the sight of several Boneysaurs running rampant through the streets. A B-Rex was using its jaws to tear chunks out of brick walls. A B-Tricera was ramming its head again and again into the Fossil Guild, causing the building to start crumbling. A B-Jara soared overhead, blasting fleeing Fighters with sonic pulses, looking like it was enjoying itself greatly.

All of a sudden, Todd, Rupert, and Pauleen – the entire Caliosteo Patrol Team - were there beside her. "Can you believe this?" Todd yelled over the din of people screaming and Boneysaurs roaring. "The BB Brigade has really gone too far this time, digadig!" Pauleen replied.

Rupert tugged on Dina's sleeve. "Dina, what are we going to do?" he asked her, voice filled with worry. Dina clenched her teeth and balled her fists in anger. "We find the person behind this and knock him or her out," she seethed. "I'm betting its one of the BB commanders that instigated this carnage."

Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind them. "Oh, good!" it called out. "The four of you are smarter than you look!" Dina turned along with her friends to see Cotton stalking toward them with careful, bird-like strides.

"You don't know how pleased I am to see you!" Cotton yelled over the noise. "I hear, Dina, that you've made it into the Caliosteo Cup final!" He shook his head and sighed. "I suppose I should congratulate you, but I'm still hoping you'll take my earlier advice and quit while you're still ahead. The end of the Caliosteo Cup will bring nothing good for you and your fellow Fighters."

Todd was confused. "What does he mean?" he asked Dina, to which she shrugged in response. "Well!" Cotton suddenly spoke up again. "This boy is a friend of yours, I assume?" He held out a hand. "Greetings, and many great hellos! I'm Cotton, former Cup Champion."

Dina held an arm out in front of Todd protectively as he shrank away from their enemy. "Not going to introduce yourself?" Cotton asked innocently. "Pity. So, what do you think of my plan? I'm not one for bragging, but you have to admit that invading Cranial City was unexpected."

He chuckled. "But this time, you can't stop me. Not even your strongest team member" – he jerked a thumb at Rupert – "could defeat me last time. And those weren't even my strongest Vivosaurs."

Dina growled audibly. _He's right,_ she thought. _I've seen how he treats his Vivosaurs – with affection and love. That's the proper way to do it, and he knows it. He's not a typical villain, and because of this, he's almost too tough to defeat._

There was a huge explosion behind them. As one, the Patrol Team turned to see a Boneysaur demolish part of the Fighter Station. Dina could easily see the elevator leading to Joe's suite through the wreckage.

Cotton noticed this. "See?" he said idly. "When Wildwest Tower comes crashing down to its foundations, there goes the heart of the Caliosteo Islands. Sure, you can just rebuild it, but everyone will know that we could easily destroy it again." Suddenly, the other three BB Brigade commanders appeared behind Cotton.

"With Joe Wildwest's building taken down," Cole started, "people will realize that nowhere is safe. They will be too frightened to finish the Caliosteo Cup."

Lester picked up where Cole had left off. "And with everyone's hopes crushed," he bellowed confidently, "we can easily drive out all the Fighters and claim the islands for ourselves! Har har har!" He guffawed loudly.

"Face it, maaaan," Lola spoke up now. "We've won. We've got, like, the most powerful Fighter in the islands on our side. There's totally nothing you can do but give up."

Dina clenched her jaw so tightly that it felt like her teeth would shatter. Rupert simply glared at the quartet. Todd was trembling, and Pauleen looked on hopelessly. They were doomed.

Cotton spoke again with an undercurrent of triumph in his voice. "Cole, you see to the destruction of Wildwest Tower. Lola, feel free to pick off any Fighters still here and scare them off the island. And Lester, you can take these weaklings."

Lester was about to protest, but Cotton neatly interrupted him. "Don't worry – if you get nervous and you don't know what to do, just do what your gut tells you to." He paused, then snickered, "Yes, that was a fat joke." Lester turned beet red, and the other two commanders each took their first steps toward their new goals.

But suddenly, a new voice rang out over the sounds of chaos around them. "Well, well, well," it said with a familiar accent. "I woulda never thought I'd see ya with these varmints, Cotton."

It was Joe Wildwest himself. The BB commanders paused and looked in his direction fearfully. Dina suddenly felt a surge of hope.

If Cotton was unnerved by the superstar Fighter's presence, he didn't show it. Instead, he spread out his arms as if welcoming him. "Well, look who it is," he said with a smirk. "Remember me? Your glorious, shining Ma" – Joe cut him off.

"Now, pardner," he said sadly, as if disappointed. "Things don't have ta be this way." But before he could continue, Cotton spoke again, this time in a voice heavy with contempt.

"Yes it does," he hissed. "The Caliosteo Cup must be stopped, if only for the greater good!" He shook his head and spread his wings threateningly. "Why am I even arguing with you? Nothing will change your mind, after setting up the Caliosteo Cup yet _again_ and going through all this trouble just to get a new" – again, Joe cut him off.

"If ya say so," he sighed. "Ya know, you were a good feller once. You were alone, cast out by ev'ryone. But despite that, you were a good person. Now ya finally have comrades ta call yer own, and it's made ya into a no-good varmint with an appetite fer destruction and evil."

Over on the sidelines, Dina's mind drifted. She had heard all about how Cotton had been ignored and scorned by everyone he came across, just because he was a little – _OK, a lot_ – different. Not even his parents had entirely liked him, or so she had heard, and he had lived a lonely life up until he won the Caliosteo Cup and, afterward, joined the BB Brigade. _Why did he do that? He would have been honored and admired at last!_

She brought herself back to reality as Cotton started to talk again. "You know, even if I didn't join the BB Brigade for the reason I did, I would have for another reason. After a week of being congratulated for winning the Cup, I would have been shamed yet again. People tend to move on from past events, and within days, I would be the same freakish mutant people have always seen me as! The BareBones Brigade accepted me for who I was! They have a place for me in their organization! I'm _wanted_ amongst them!"

His voice had gone from neutral to furious to almost sad. Dina thought she could see something glistening near his eyes as he reached the end of his rant. For a split second, she almost felt sorry for him.

Joe Wildwest seemed touched as well. "Well, golly, pardner," he said. "I never expected ya to feel so strongly about this. But the fact still stands – yer assaultin' the very place ya once called home. The place where hundreds o' people still call home."

He took out three Dino Medals. "An' even if yer more powerful than anyone on these islands," he continued, "I still see no reason not ta just sit back an' watch ya destroy everything I built."

The look in Cotton's eye could have melted through iron. "This is my revenge," he hissed murderously. "It's time for me and my dragons to satiate our hunger for vengeance." He threw his head back and gave a piercing shriek that ripped through the air and instantly quieted the attacking Boneysaurs around them.

Suddenly, from a flaming building next to the Fossil Guild, a huge, monstrous Vivosaur leapt. The thing had bright blue fins adorning its back, legs, and tail, and its shark-like maw was crammed with needle-sharp teeth. _A Lugmos,_ murmured Teffla from his Dino Medal. The Lugmos stood to stand protectively in front of its master, baring its teeth and growling.

Then, a green shape swooped down from the sky with a screech, landing elegantly on the ground. It was Cotton's Nycto Ace. It smoothly folded its wings and held itself with an air of combined formality and dignity. Dina had to admit one thing – Nycto Ace was, just as people often said about it, quite a beautiful creature.

Finally, from beneath the fallen bricks of a savaged building, exploded a massive serpentine monster. It was pure white all over, with shining scales and glaring yellow eyes. The fifty-foot snake coiled up beside Nycto Ace and Lugmos, hissing softly. It was a Tophis.

The serpents' eye suddenly swiveled in its socket to meet Dina's. The acidic yellow glare seemed to become harsher, and Dina felt as if the slitted pupil was staring straight through her and into her soul. Whimpering, she tried to hide herself behind Rupert as terror began to overtake her.

"What's wrong?" asked Rupert concernedly, putting a comforting hand on hers. Todd moaned and whispered to him, "Snakes are her worst fear." And indeed they were.

Without another word, Joe summoned his three Vivosaurs. There was Ptera, Tsintao, and Argento. Dina recognized his Ptera from the day it had rescued her and Todd, and his Tsintao as well. It had been one of the four choices Joe had given her for her first Vivosaur. But Argento was something new. The sauropod was the biggest she had ever seen, at 110 feet long and weighing at almost 100 tons. The mountains adorning its back seemed appropriate for such a titanic beast.

Cotton had the first move. "Tophis, use Cobra Twist on Argento!" Instantly, Tophis slithered rapidly toward Argento – with Dina shuddering at every move of its body – and lifted itself up off of the ground by lunging with astounding force. It coiled tightly around Argento's neck, the lack of air draining some of its LP and sending it into unconsciousness. There was a tremendous crash and a slight tremor when Argento hit the ground, fully asleep.

"Excellent," said Cotton, satisfied. "Now Lugmos, use Lugmos Tail on Tsintao." The shark-like Super Evolver swatted Tsintao twice with its immense, finned tail. It did a lot of damage, but the hadrosaur was otherwise OK.

"Purdy good," commented Joe with a grin. "Ya weren't the Champion fer nothin'. Now Ptera, use Great Vortex on Lugmos!" The pterosaur shrieked and soared straight at Lugmos, a hurricane of power whirling behind it. Ptera made a sharp turn, sending the winds right at Lugmos. It was battered badly, then came out of the attack in a state of deep rage.

Cotton swore under his breath. Now Dina could see Joe's strategy – he had taken the Fire-type out of the fight to stop it from causing serious harm to his two Earth-types. But by now, Argento had begun to wake up slowly.

"Tophis, send Argento back to sleep," he commanded. Tophis obediently repeated its last attack, successfully knocking Argento out again. "Now, Nycto Ace, use Nycto Star on Tsintao!"

Nycto Ace shot straight up off of the ground, carving a great backwards turn in the sky. At the apex of its somersault, it dove toward the ground and pulled up, skimming just above the ground at impossible speed. It slammed right into Tsintao with a critical hit. After dealing heavy damage, it carved a neat turn and landed lightly on its feet, back in its original position.

The Super Evolver caught Joe's Ptera's awed stare and solemnly nodded, acknowledging the presence of its fellow pterosaur. Dina, for a moment, forgot her fear of Tophis and peeked out from behind Rupert, observing Ptera's reaction – a dipping of the head along with a slight reddening of the area around its beak.

"Is Ptera… blushing?" she asked, half-bewildered and half-amused. Teffla spoke up indignantly. _Hey, we do have hearts, you know,_ he protested. Dina quickly apologized, but Teffla didn't make Vivosaur love seem any less… weird.

Dina forced her attention back to the battle, as Joe's Tsintao socked Tophis right in its face. She would have cheered if not for the snake's enraged hiss, which made her hide back behind Rupert with a squeak. Then Ptera followed up with a Wing Cutter, spinning around Lugmos like a drill and battering it with more wind currents.

"Lugmos, use Charge," Cotton ordered, and the somewhat less enraged Lugmos began to store up its power, a nimbus of lightning bolts encasing it in an electrical aura. "And Tophis, use Cobra Twist again." The serpent sent Argento back into its deep slumber, as it had begun to wake up again.

"Tsintao, use yer Tsintao Roar!" commanded Joe, and Tsintao responded with a mighty howl that swept sand across the ground in a circular arc. All three of Cotton's Vivosaurs were dealt light damage.

Cotton smiled wickedly as Lugmos seemed to shake off its previous rage entirely, small lightning bolts still crackling around it. "Lugmos, use a Charged Lugmos Sphere!" Instantly, the electric charge concentrated itself around Lugmos' head, and the Super Evolver let loose with a huge ball of magma from its mouth. The lightning bolts traveled with it, giving the fiery projectile an electrical edge.

The lava-slash-lightning ball slammed right into Argento, simultaneously waking it up painfully and dealing an astronomical amount of damage. But, due to its amazing LP count, it held on with a little less than half of its LP remaining. That wasn't to say the attack wasn't painful – Argento reared up onto its hind legs and roared in agony, crashing back down upon its front legs as the roar petered out.

Joe winced visibly, then told Argento to strike back with Mountain Buster. It reared its tail back, then slammed it down upon Lugmos with earthquake force. Despite Lugmos' type advantage against Argento, the blow still hurt badly.

"Lugmos, use Charge again!" said Cotton, and as Lugmos did so, continued, "Nycto, give Ptera a Nycto Star!" With another aerial backflip to increase its speed, Nycto Ace shot straight at the other pterosaur, slamming into it and dealing a huge amount of damage. With such a low Defense, Ptera was almost out for the count.

"Tophis, finish it with Snake Bite!" Tophis reared up, poised in an S-shape, then lunged, throwing itself off of the ground and clamping down with its fangs. Ptera screeched as it was dragged to the ground and violently shaken, then dissolved back into a Dino Medal.

Dina let out another involuntary shudder as Joe picked up Ptera's medallion. She nervously checked her Fighter's Watch, and saw that Joe had acquired a ton of FP to make up for the loss. She watched as he ordered a Valiant Tackle from Tsintao and a Mountain Buster from Amargo.

Both Tophis and Lugmos were hit hard. Tophis clung to its last bit of LP, and Lugmos wasn't faring much better. Stamping his talon on the ground almost childishly, Cotton retorted, "Lugmos! Give him a Charged Lugmos Tail!"

The electric charge that had continued to surround Lugmos after its second Charge sped down and gathered at its tail. With a roar, Lugmos bashed Argento twice in the side of the face with it, large flashes of lightning occurring with each strike. But the sturdy Vivosaur still stood with a good amount of LP left.

Cotton chose to end his turn early to save up LP. But as Joe began his own turn, he chose to use Tsintao's Valiant Tackle to finish off Lugmos and thus, the main powerhouse on Cotton's team. His only response to the loss of Lugmos was a quiet growl and a slight tightening of his talons on the ground.

"Nycto Ace, get them with Nycto Hurricane!" Instantly, Nycto Ace leapt into the air and spread its wings, spinning faster and faster. Soon it was surrounded by a sphere of high-speed winds that continuously sent glowing green blades whirling out from it. Both Tsintao and Argento were hit hard. Tsintao couldn't take the punishing barrage of blades, and collapsed. It glowed briefly, then winked out and disappeared into its Dino Medal.

Now it was only Argento against Nycto Ace and Tophis. Cotton smirked and called out, "Tophis, its all or nothing with this move! Use your Tophis Hiss!"

The snake reared up with a loud shriek and threw its head back. Then it aimed at Argento, and out from its mouth blasted a huge ball of purple poison. If it hit, it would mean an instant defeat for Argento. However, the blast was so powerful, it caused Tophis to flinch badly from the recoil, throwing it back against the ground. The flinch was enough to cause the speeding projectile to miss Argento by a wide margin.

Then Tophis was gone, victim to a Mountain Buster attack. Crushed under Argento's tail, it faded with a final hiss.

Dina relaxed at the serpent's absence and came out from behind Rupert. He smiled at her renewed courage and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked to the other side and saw Todd trembling with such excitement that he looked like he was about to wet himself. Pauleen was almost as fidgety, muttering frantically under her breath.

"Nycto Ace!" screamed Cotton – he seemed desperate to win. "Use a Nycto Somersault attack!" Nycto Ace spread her wings, then flew swiftly across the ground, rocketing upwards at the last minute and whipping Argento under the chin with its tail. At first, it seemed that Argento would fall – but it still stood, with only a sliver of LP left.

"Time ta finish this, Argento!" Joe called triumphantly. "Use yer Mountain Crush!" Rupert's eyes widened, and Dina looked at him confusedly. Todd was jumping up and down, and across the battlefield, Cotton paled noticeably.

Argento reared up with a huge roar and smashed its feet down upon the ground with all of its might, creating a massive shockwave of dirt and earth to speed toward Nycto Ace. Before it hit, Dina could see Nycto Ace's shocked expression as it braced itself for the inevitable.

The shockwave hit with such force, Nycto Ace was sent spinning into the air, a comical sight due to its huge size. At the apex, it closed its eyes solemnly and plummeted downwards, wings trailing uselessly behind it. It landed with a tiny *plink* - it had retreated into its medallion. Joe had won the battle by a hair.

Cotton shrieked and ran over to gently cradle Nycto Ace in his hands, muttering soothingly to it. "Good girl," he murmured, looking close to tears. "You did your best, my friend. Rest for now."

The other three BB commanders looked stricken. Lola's normally heavy-lidded eyes were wide, Lester staggered backwards and almost fell, and Cole looked as if he were about to faint.

"Our first loss…" Cotton murmured sadly. "Appropriate, considering we were up against the ruler of the Caliosteo Fossil Park himself." Dina found herself questioning his choice of words. _Ruler?_ she wondered. _What does he mean by that?_

"Sh-should we r-retreat, Cotton?" stuttered Cole uncertainly. Joe advanced, Argento backing him up. Lester was sweating profusely. Lola squeaked and reflexively grabbed Cotton's arm.

"Y-yes…" Cotton whispered, so quiet that it was almost inaudible. He had a terrified expression on his face. "Yes!" he repeated, louder this time, and took to the air with a squawk, followed on the ground by his comrades. They were gone within seconds.

Joe stared after them for a bit, then walked over to his Patrol Team. "Hot dog!" he exclaimed. "Looks like yet another attempt by the BB Brigade to ruin the Cup is finished!" Dina felt like cheering again, and this time she did. Rupert jumped at the sudden movement, then laughed in relief. Todd and Pauleen joined in.

"Sorry ya couldn't be of more help this time 'round," said Joe apologetically. "But I knew you'd lost against Cotton before, and I knew he planned on takin' down my tower. So I had ta take matters into my own hands."

Todd was shuddering with excitement. "No need to say sorry!" he yelped. "You defeated the best Fighter on the islands! You didn't even need the Patrol Team backing you up!"

Rupert nodded and smiled. "I say, I have just acquired a much more powerful respect for you," he congratulated him. Joe rubbed his arm modestly as Dina and Pauleen hugged in celebration.

"Now see here," said Joe. "We can't hold the Cup final 'til we repair some o' the damage 'round here. Don' worry, I'll make sure WildwestTower and the Fighter Station are the top priority!" As Dina and Rupert looked at each other excitedly, he continued, "Please, jus' be patient until then, ya hear?"

They nodded. There was nothing else to do for today, so the four members of the Patrol team decided to call it a day and go digging together.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Here we have kind of a more relaxed ending, with the four of them all going off to hang out for a day of R+R (rest and relaxation).**

**Bet you didn't see a full-scale invasion coming, huh? Cotton must really hate Joe Wildwest for his plan to go that far.**

**Well, the next chapter will hopefully be coming soon! Review please, and wait patiently!**

**TRIVIA: Nycto Ace, Tophis, and Lugmos were chosen for Cotton's team for a couple of reasons. One, they all look like dragons somewhat, and I positively LOVE dragons. Two, Tophis is my favorite Vivosaur because it's a snake. Three, Lugmos looks a lot like my favorite monster from Monster Hunter (Plesioth). And finally, Nycto Ace has been my favorite Super Evolver ever since I used her in FFC.**


	14. Shaking it Up

**Now we get back to the actual story, and away from my made-up plot details.**

**This is a pretty short chapter, as it only entails one little bit of the plot.**

**On second thought… screw both of those sentences.**

**Guest: No, no they didn't! When it comes to romance, even I don't go that far. (Guess I should have seen that question coming…)**

-.-.-.-.-.

Cotton hung his head sadly as he stood before Don Boneyard in failure. "I should have known…" he murmured. "I should have known that he would come to defend the Cup…"

Don Boneyard said nothing. Cole, Lester, and Lola all stood on the sidelines, a mix of sympathy and anxiety in their eyes. Who knew what Don Boneyard would do now that all four commanders had individually failed to cancel the Caliosteo Cup?

They were about to find out.

"No bones about it," Don Boneyard said impatiently. "It seems I must take matters into my own phalanges. There is but one course of action left to me now, although I did not wish to take it… no matter. My plan is the only thing that can save us now…"

The BareBones quartet turned toward each other, the same worried look adorning each of their faces. "Um… I'm not sure I like the thought of a plan that even Don Boneyard finds unappealing…" whimpered Cole. Lester shuddered at this.

"It sounds baaaad," drawled Lola, although there was indeed an undercurrent of nervousness in her voice. "Not cool, man. Liiiiike, bad bad, you know?" Cotton anxiously flexed his wings and shuffled his talons, saying nothing.

"Get your tibias in gear, fools!" roared Don Boneyard, and the four jumped as one and turned to face him once more. "And understand this – dissent or failure on your part will be dealt with most harshly."

Lester gulped audibly and Cole gave another whimper. "Whatever you say, Don B.," said Lola, blowing a careless bubble with her bubble gum. Cotton simply bowed his head and stayed silent.

"It's time to bury the Caliosteo Fossil Park once and for all!" proclaimed Don Boneyard, laughing with more than a hint of madness present in the sound…

-.-.-.-.-.

**Rainbow Canyon**

Dina, Todd, Pauleen, and Rupert had picked Rainbow Canyon to go digging in. There were tons of fossils to be found there, after all, and digging them all up would be a great way to spend their time until Cranial City's Fighter Station was repaired.

It had been Dina's idea to go digging there, because she was still missing two head fossils for some of the Vivosaurs she had currently in storage. No one had given a complaint, since they were all eager to find more Vivosaurs to help them in future Fossil Battles – or in Dina and Rupert's case, help them in the Cup final.

They had excavated their fossils together for a while, before splitting up to pursue their own paths. Dina hadn't minded, as it gave her a bit of time to be alone with her thoughts.

_Who are you going to be using in the final, Dina?_ asked Radox excitedly. _Probably me, for starters,_ replied Teffla with a chuckle. _Hey! I want to participate too!_ protested Nychus. Dina giggled aloud and said to them, "Come on, guys. I haven't decided who I want to use yet, and anyway, the final won't be happening for a while. I don't even know what Vivosaurs Rupert is going to use."

She brushed the dust off of a Water-type fossil and tucked it into her rapidly-filling-up Fossil Case. "I think that'll do for now," she said with satisfaction. "All I have to do is get these to KL-33N and clean them." She sincerely hoped that among the fossils, she had the heads of Ankylo and Cerato, two Vivosaurs that she had found a while back on her first expedition in Rainbow Canyon.

Suddenly, Dina felt something faint beneath her feet. It wasn't much, but it felt like the earth was – vibrating. She was just about to dismiss it as a figment of her imagination, when she saw pebbles rain down from the cliffs just above her. The tiny tremor had clearly caused that.

_Something's wrong,_ Hopter murmured, confirming her suspicions. _I am of the Earth type, and I feel that something is wrong with the islands._ Dina thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers and said, "I'm part of the Patrol Team. It's my job to tell the authorities these things. I'll go tell Terry, or better yet, Joe. Something didn't feel right with that tremor."

She ran off in the direction of Cranial City. _Wait! _Tricera cautioned. _Shouldn't you tell your friends?_ Dina considered, then shook her head. "There isn't any time. I hope I'm wrong, but… something just doesn't feel right."

-.-.-.-.-.

**Cranial City**

Dina was five steps into the city when another tremor struck, but this time, it was definitely noticeable. The ground was clearly shaking, and the effects could be seen all over. Showers of bricks tumbled down from buildings still under repair, and Fighters stopped what they were doing as they felt the quake.

"Eeeek!" screamed a girl. "What's happening?!" The tremor got worse, and someone else exclaimed, "It's an earthquake!" But before anyone could panic, the quake settled down.

Dina looked around instinctively, wondering where the earthquake could have come from and what could have caused it. But then, a shadow fell slowly across the sun, and whatever it was floated closer and closer. Dina gasped, as she suddenly recognized it as the Mammoth Vision video screen.

The giant television glided to a halt, and the screen flickered on. Everyone gasped – it was none other than Don Boneyard once again.

"Bwa ha ha ha!" he laughed. "Behold, mortals! I have returned! But not to worry, I came to wish you all farewell."

Although his skull couldn't smile, Dina swore that she saw his mandibular joints tweak upwards slightly. "For you see," he continued triumphantly, "your pathetic Caliosteo Cup is about to sink beneath the waves! All three islands will be swept away like grains of sand on the shore, so unless you're an exceptionally good swimmer, I'd suggest fleeing for your little lives!"

There was a huge, collective gasp from the crowd, and right on cue, another earthquake struck. It was worse than the first, and Dina lost her balance and fell to her knees. Amidst the chaos that ensued, Don Boneyard could be heard exclaiming, "Oh, this tickles my funny bone! Bwa ha ha ha!"

As the tremor faded, the television flew off, and the crowd collectively screamed and scattered every which way, Pauleen ran up to Dina from behind, startling her. "Did you see that, diga?!" she asked hysterically, pulling Dina to her feet. "He said he's going to sink the islands! And right before, there was a massive quake! I think he's serious, digadig!" She was practically tearing her hair out in panic.

"Pauleen!" Dina said sharply, calming her down a little. "We need to find Joe and the other Patrol Team members. We can't let that stupid skeleton ruin everything!" Pauleen nodded, looking close to tears.

Together, they raced up the stairs to the nearly-completely-repaired Fighter Station and up to the elevator. In the back of her mind, Dina reflected on how lucky they were that Wildwest Tower hadn't been badly damaged in Cotton's attack.

In Joe's suite, Dina saw with only a mild jolt of surprise that Todd and Rupert were already there. "You're here, digadig!" Pauleen exclaimed. "Of course we're here!" Todd shot back. "We came as soon as Don Boneyard finished talking!"

Dina and Pauleen walked up to stand before Joe alongside their friends. "We're in a whole heap'a trouble right about now," Joe said grimly. Pauleen cautiously asked him, "Is Don Boneyard telling the truth? Can he really sink these islands?"

Joe scratched his head. "Ya got me there, little lady. I'm afraid I don't know much 'bout that kinda thing. I asked one'a the local eggheads to ride by and help us out. Figured he'd be here by now…"

Just then, the elevator dinged, and out stepped none other than Professor Scatterly. "Ho!" he said. "Pardon me for being so late, but I had the most fascinating lunch, you see, and…" He trailed off when he caught sight of Dina. "Good heavens, it's Dina! I seem to run into you wherever I go, eh wot?"

He became more serious than Dina had ever seen him when Joe asked what was happening to the islands. "Oh, yes, of course. Quite. Now then…"

Clearing his throat, Professor Scatterly began: "I would deduce that the recent quakes have been the result of the Spinal Pillar being weakened. The Spinal Pillar, you see, is a massive structure that holds up the islands. The islands are actually one giant island, connected by a massive landmass deep beneath the sea, and supported by this giant pillar. Theoretically, if someone were to chip away at this pillar, it would snap in two. And this, of course, would send the islands plunging into the ocean. All quite terrible, yes?"

_That's the understatement of the year,_ Dina thought, but bit her tongue to stop the sarcastic remark from escaping. Instead, she kept quiet while Todd fumed, "That's low, even for the BB Brigade. We can't let them get away with it!"

Rupert agreed. "We must stop them from eroding the Spinal Pillar further," he stated. But the professor shook his head.

"Er, yes," he stammered. "I fear that stopping further erosion will not be sufficient. There's already been too much damage to the Spinal Pillar, wot wot? No, we have to find a way to reinforce and repair the damage."

Joe was practically hopping out of his skin, he was so anxious. "And jus' how are we gonna do that?!" he asked. Professor Scatterly gave him a good-natured smile and replied, "With calcium, my dear man! Just like the spinal cord of you or I, the Spinal Pillar is made up of a very hard type of calcium. If we were to inject a similar substance into the pillar, it should be enough to save the islands!"

Professor Scatterly cleared his throat briefly, then went on. "There are two things that contain the type of calcium we need – the first is the prehistoric fish Sardinisaurus…"

Joe interrupted. "I reckon those fossils are found deep in Petrified Woods," he sighed. "But we just closed down th' dig site fer maintenance!"

The professor looked smug. "Yes, quite," he quipped. "But there is still one other thing. The ferocious Devonian fish Dunklosteus can also provide us with the calcium we need."

Dina was relieved. "Thank goodness!" she said. "All we have to do is find a Dunkle fossil rock!"

But Professor Scatterly grew grim. "That won't do, I'm afraid," he said. "The calcium in Dunkleosteus is nowhere near as good of a quality as that of a Sardinisaurus, wot wot? Therefore, we must track down a live specimen and extract some of the calcium from its terribly tough head."

Now Dina was pale. She knew that Dunkleosteus was a fearsome predator back in the Devonian period, biting other creatures in half with no effort at all. In its Vivosaur form, Dunkle, it was pretty much harmless. But the actual, live fish was anything but.

"I've heard something about wild Dunkleosteus living around the warm waters around Cranial Isle," Rupert interjected. Joe nodded and replied, "Yep, them rumors are true. We'll have to get ourselves a boat to try and lure one in, then get that calcium from 'im."

Dina felt faint, but Rupert was there to steady her. Joe then handed her a gigantic syringe. "This here's the Calcium Injector – I've been working on it a while back as an experiment fer the medical industry, but it'll do fer now. You gotta stab this baby into the Dunkleosteus' armor and pull on it to extract the calcium. Then ya gotta get yerselves down to the spinal pillar, and fast!"

Pauleen took it from Dina and examined it. Then she put it into her Fossil Case and said determinedly, "Come on then, diga. Let's find ourselves a Dunkleosteus."

-.-.-.-.-.

**Cranial Isle Waters**

Joe and Professor Scatterly remained behind to calm the multitudes of panicking Fighters, while the Patrol Team manned a speedboat and motored out into the tropical waters surrounding Cranial Isle. Pauleen had the Calcium Injector, Rupert had a small cannon to launch her onto the Dunkleosteus' back, and Dina had the bait – a huge, foul-smelling fish with a deep cut in its belly, pouring blood into the water.

"What's the plan again?" squeaked Todd, huddling in the boat and trying not to reveal too much of his fear. "Simple," responded Dina cheerily. "We lure a Dunkleosteus to the boat using the blood from this fish to attract it. Then as we keep it distracted, Rupert will launch Pauleen onto its back, and she'll extract some calcium from its armor."

Unsurprisingly, Todd didn't seem reassured.

"Is this far enough?" asked Rupert, who was at the wheel. Dina nodded, and he stopped the boat. They could see the faint outline of Cranial Isle in the distance.

"The only flaw in this plan is if we end up attracting sharks instead of a Dunkleosteus," Rupert mused. "Their noses are so sensitive, they can detect a single drop of blood in an area as big as an Olympic pool." Todd shuddered, and Pauleen chastised Rupert. "Not helping, digadig," she muttered.

Minutes passed. The sea grew choppy as far away, Cranial Isle succumbed to another earthquake. Dina felt a renewed sense of urgency. As Rupert had predicted, a few fins were appearing around the boat and circling it warily, but there was no sign of the fish they were after.

Todd was shaking in his shoes as the sharks continued circling, growing bolder by the second. "Sharks don't eat people, right?" he asked nervously. Dina glanced out over the ocean, and her eyes widened at what she saw. "I don't think we have to worry about sharks anymore…" she breathed, making her friends turn to witness the spectacle unfolding before her.

A dark shape cut through the water just below the surface, making a slight wave appear. The sharks scattered, but the wave headed straight for them. One fin simply vanished beneath the waves, as if it had been yanked downwards. Then everything was quiet again, aside from the occasional screech of a seabird above.

"They're gone," whispered Pauleen. "Yes, but it's not," corrected Rupert, pointing to the dark shape. It was cone-shaped, ominously swimming circles around the boat at a leisurely pace. Dina kept her hands on the bait – she was sure that this was what they were looking for, and she was prepared to use all of her strength to pull it in for a quick extraction.

The shape swam away, then suddenly veered sharply towards them and increased its speed dramatically. It disappeared, exactly one second before it hit them from below, causing the boat to rock madly on the water. Everyone fought to regain their balance.

Dina increased her grip and gasped as a massive, bony head forced itself out of the water, clamping its immense jaws around the bait. She tugged as hard as she could, but to no avail. Even if she had been strong enough to pull it near, the Dunkleosteus' super-sharp fangs cut through the wire like it was nothing at all.

It didn't swim away, instead choosing to circle the boat once more. The fish kept its upper body above the water, its glowing green eye focused on the four friends, watching their every move.

"Rupert, prepare the cannon!" yelled Dina, and he leapt to the task. "Pauleen, get that Calcium Injector ready!" She did so, taking it in her hands and wielding it like a spear. "Todd, I need you to steer the boat in case we have to chase it." Todd nodded and ran to the pilot's seat, eager to get away from the Dunkleosteus.

It was beginning to lose interest in the boat and its passengers, probably because it couldn't smell any more food on board. Dina knew, without a doubt, that it would attack and eat them if it was hungry enough.

Rupert had the cannon aimed squarely at the moving Dunkleosteus, rotating it to match the fish's pace. Pauleen was inside, clutching the syringe to her chest. "Fire when ready!" shouted Dina, feeling very much the soldier.

There was a loud *bang* as the cannon went off, shooting Pauleen far out of the boat. Rupert's aim was spot on, as she landed right on top of the Dunkleosteus. It noticed something was wrong and began to swim around erratically, trying to dislodge her. But Pauleen was determined, clutching at the handholds in the beast's head armor and trying not to be sick.

Then the Dunkleosteus dove, and Pauleen only had half a second to grab a breath of air before she was taken under. Dina let out an involuntary squeak of fear and Rupert clutched the cannon until his knuckles were white.

There were several moments with no sound at all except the lapping of the waves against the boat. The three friends held their breaths, even though they weren't the ones underwater.

Then the water exploded, sending a great amount of spray into the air and over the boat. The Dunkleosteus jumped clear out of the water, with Pauleen hanging on and screaming the entire time. It purposely landed on its back, trying harder than ever to get Pauleen off.

Apparently, it worked. Pauleen's head appeared in the water, gasping for air and red from the impact with the water. She struggled to paddle with one hand still holding the Calcium Injector.

At first, Dina was afraid that the Dunkleosteus had fled. But the top of its head appeared in the distance, speeding toward them at a ridiculous pace. It seemed to be aiming right at Pauleen. With a thrill of horror, Dina saw its jaws open to bite Pauleen in half.

"Rupert! Launch me!" she shrieked, scrambling into the cannon. He almost hesitated, then realized that there was no time for that. Dina flew out of the cannon and, by pure luck, landed on the murderous fish. It paused in its advance on Pauleen and resumed thrashing, trying once again to get the new pest off.

"Pauleen, throw me the Injector!" The girl didn't hesitate either, flinging the syringe at Dina with all of her strength. Dina, hanging onto the Dunkleosteus with one hand, reached up and successfully caught the Calcium Injector with the other.

"Time to squeeze the calcium out of you!" Dina yelled in combined determination and frustration as she took the syringe and plunged the ultra-sharp needle into the bone of the fish's head armor.

The Dunkleosteus screeched in pain, a highly unexpected noise to be sure, as it bucked even harder, doubling its efforts to rid itself of the pain and discomfort. Dina gritted her teeth and hung on by gripping with her knees. She tugged on the syringe, pulling the stopper up as far as it would go. Whitish-purple fluid oozed upwards and into the now-vacant chamber.

Dina pulled the syringe out, earning another scream from the Dunkleosteus. It thrashed once, throwing her off of its back, then dove into the wild waters. It didn't surface again.

Exhaustedly, Dina swam toward the boat, allowing herself to be pulled up by Rupert and Todd. "Wow, that was awesome!" the latter enthused. "You took on that oversized tuna like it was nothing at all!" Dina shuddered and responded with, "Yeah, but now I'm going to be reluctant to take a bath for years." They all laughed good-naturally, helping to break the tension of their previous experience.

"Now," said Pauleen. "How do we get to the Spinal Pillar?" Rupert suggested, "I believe Joe has a submarine. Don't ask me how I know that, but I know he'll let us use it for the sake of the islands."

With that, he gunned the motor, and they began their journey back to Cranial Isle. But after a minute, Dina piped up, "Hang on. Don't you think that the BB Brigade would have tried to… prevent us from getting to the Spinal Pillar? I mean, Cotton's already destroyed Rainbow Canyon's gondola and thrown the Super Electrominites into the sea, all to ensure we couldn't stop him and his comrades."

Rupert started, but kept his foot on the pedal. "It makes sense," he said uncertainly. "You think that the BareBones Brigade could have vandalized Joe's submarine so it wouldn't work?" Dina shrugged. "Maybe. But I think we should think of a… unique way of getting to the Spinal Pillar. One that Cotton couldn't anticipate."

She thought a while, and when they were about halfway to the island, she snapped her fingers decisively. "What about the Bonehemoth?" she asked excitedly. "Robinson said that we could go back whenever we wanted from Ilium Village!"

Pauleen and Rupert grew equally excited, with Todd looking on confusedly. "Yes, of course!" said Rupert. "The Bonehemoth should be able to get us to the seafloor with ease. Of course, we should ask Robinson for advice, since it may not be that simple."

Dina scoffed. "Since when has anything we've done been simple?" she asked rhetorically, and everyone chuckled at that.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Bonehemoth**

"Well, it looks like it's back to fish-gut city for us," grumbled Pauleen, face wrinkled in disgust. They were back in the Bonehemoth, having already used the Teleport Tunnel to get there. Or at least, Dina, Rupert, and Pauleen were back. Todd was staring in wonder at the odd sights that greeted him upon entry.

They immediately started searching for Robinson, and before long, they indeed found him. "Well, shake m'fins and call me Flappy!" he exclaimed, surprised and delighted to see them again. "What brings you landlubbers back here so soon?"

Rupert stepped forth and got right to the heart of the matter. "We need the Bonehemoth to take us to the Spinal Pillar as quickly as possible. Is that possible?"

Robinson looked dubious. "The Spinal Pillar? You mean that big ol' thing holdin' up the islands? … Can't say I've ever done it, but it won't hurt to try."

He held up his walking stick purposefully and shifted Balliver under his arm. "Now, if we tickle this here spot, the whale dives deeper," he said, almost to himself. He indeed began to tickle said spot with his stick. There was a mournful cry from the whale, and then they all began to feel the unmistakable feeling of going deeper into the ocean.

Todd's eyes were as big as grapefruits by this point. "That Spinal Pillar is a ways down, so we got to dive this beastie down a bit deeper than usual," Robinson told them, then looked at Todd. "You there, greenie!" he called, and Todd jumped. "Huh? You mean me?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yep, you, son!" Robinson said cheerfully. "Come here and help me tickle this here whale!" Todd did a little victory pose. "Sweet! I'm good at tickling!" He went over to Robinson and helped the man tickle the indicated spot. He was really enjoying it – well, that's what Dina supposed the stupid noises and comments coming from his mouth meant.

"Anyone else think this is a little weird?" she asked under her breath. Pauleen and Rupert hesitated, then nodded vigorously as Todd said, "Who's a good whale?! Cootchie-cootchie-coo!" Dina groaned and facepalmed. As much as she loved her friend, he could be really annoying and immature.

"Now listen up," Robinson told them. "Beneath each one'a these islands is a cave that'll take you to the Spinal Pillar. Seein' as how we got three islands here, where do ya want to go?"

Rupert turned toward Dina and Pauleen. "I suppose it makes sense to split up. Todd needs to stay here and help Robinson, so I'll take Cranial Isle, Pauleen will take Ilium Island, and Dina can take Ribular Island."

They all nodded, and silently settled themselves down to wait.

Ten minutes later, the whale came to a complete halt, and Robinson and Todd stopped tickling. "Righto!" exclaimed Robinson. "We're resting right outside Ilium Island's seabed cavern."

Pauleen looked reluctant. "Um… I guess this is my stop, digadig. But… how do I get out? I don't want to face Lord Tonzilla again…"

Robinson just laughed. "Not to worry, little miss. You don't have to fight the crab no more. Turns out that the Bonehemoth opens his mouth when you give Lord Tonzilla's shell a little tickle! … But don't touch the anemones."

Pauleen looked relieved. "Wish me luck, digadig!" she said to her friends, before bolting off down the esophagus.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Seafloor Cavern**

"This here's the seabed cavern outside Ribular Island," Robinson told Dina. Rupert had already left for his stop, and Dina was the only one left besides Todd. "Once you're out, just walk forward until you run into the Spinal Pillar."

Todd then turned to his best friend. "Rupert and Pauleen should be close by now," he encouraged her. "I'll stay here and tickle the Bonehemoth so it keeps calm. Good luck!" Dina nodded and gave him a quick hug, then ran down the path to the Bonehemoth's mouth.

She located Lord Tonzilla's tooth with ease once she reached the mouth. She bent down and tickled his shell. Dina could hear a muffled chirp as the crab squirmed uncomfortably, and the whale gave a painful moan in response to his scratching legs and claws. Just like that, the cavernous mouth opened.

Cautiously stepping out of the mouth and between the whale's teeth, Dina jumped down and landed on the cavern floor. Strangely enough, there was breathable air down here. Not even bothering to question such a thing, she ran forward, where she could already see that something was wrong.

Two BareBones Brigade lackeys were chipping away at the Spinal Pillar with pickaxes while Cole looked on. From the looks of it, the Pillar was dangerously close to snapping in two. Dina could clearly see the openings of the other two caverns, with the gigantic cord in the middle. She knew that on the other side of the wall of stalagmites, the other commanders were doing the same deeds of destruction.

"Dig, you lazy dogs! Dig!" Cole continuously ordered. "Dig as if your life depends on it!" He laughed suddenly. "Soon, this Spinal Pillar will snap, and the Caliosteo Islands will be gone! Good thing I stocked up on skinny jeans before the stores were flooded…"

Dina, who had come up from behind him, said menacingly, "I see what you did there." Cole turned around, and if he was startled, he did a good job of hiding it.

"Seriously?" he asked, and his two minions stopped digging to see what the sudden commotion was. "I have to admit; I'm almost impressed with you. Every other fool on these islands is running in terror from us, and yet, here you are. Not bad, my girl. I admire that."

He suddenly winked at Dina and said suggestively, "I might even _like_ that."

Dina was not impressed. "Save the sweet talk, Cole," she snarled. "You and your inefficient comrades had better beat it, or else!"

Cole gave her his token smirk, the seductive smile on his face entirely gone. "No matter," he said. "I can't let you interfere when we're so close to victory. Prepare to get your rear end handed to you!"

He threw out three Dino Medals, which exploded with light to reveal B-Plesio and two B-Rexes. More than ready to meet his challenge, Dina chose Tricera, Radox, and Nychus to fight for her.

Radox and Nychus gave her the edge in speed, so she commanded attacks from each of them. Both hit B-Plesio squarely in its breastbone with Radox Headbutt and Nychus Claw. Dark energy streamed from its wounds as its horrid yellow eyes glared daggers at Dina.

Unfazed by the damage, Cole ordered one of his B-Rex to use Bare Tactics on Nychus. Both times, Nychus was hit – first by its tail, then by its teeth – very hard, but she sprang right back into action, taunting her far bigger attackers. _Is that the best you've got?_ she challenged.

Dina grinned and called out for Tricera to finish B-Plesio with a Tricera Combo. Both blows hit the oceanic Boneysaur dead-on, scattering its bones and forcing it back into its Dino Medal. "But… but how…?" Cole stuttered, blanching and backing away a few steps.

He tried to shake off his fear, but some still showed through as he stammered for B-Rex to use Skeletal Assault on Radox. Although the tail whip, forceful bite, and curtain of flames that all struck the trilobite hurt, he shook it off with a slight wince before scuttling back into his starting position.

"We've toughened up since we last met, you know!" Dina called out to Cole, who was mortified. "Now Radox, use Radox Blade on the left B-Rex!" He obliged, slashing out at the indicated target with his horn. Several rib bones were sliced through, and B-Rex roared in anger and pain at the loss.

Dina could see the look on Cole's face from across the cavern – he was already beginning to lose hope. But that didn't stop him from ordering two Boney Roars from his B-Rexes. Both sound waves combined to increase the others' power, making the scratchy, clacking sound seem even louder. Her Vivosaurs were hit particularly hard from this amplified sound attack.

"Ignore it! Tricera, shake it off and use Running Smash!" Tricera indeed smashed into the injured B-Rex with his horns, breaking several other bones in its skeleton. "Now, Nychus, use Nychus Combo!" The raptor smiled devilishly as she relentlessly struck at B-Rex's skull with her talons and feet.

Now that such damage had been dealt in such a short amount of time, B-Rex could no longer take it, and thus dissolved into its Dino Medal. Cole's mouth hung open in shock. He didn't even have the heart to call out another attack. He simply ended his turn, waiting for the inevitable. Dina (almost) felt really sorry for him.

"Let's wrap this up, Tricera – for Cole's sake," she said to her Vivosaur, saying the second part of the sentence in a slight whisper. "Use Tricera Combo on the last B-Rex."

A running thrust and an uppercut of Tricera's horns later, the last B-Rex staggered, reared its head back, and roared its pain to the ceiling. Then, it collapsed, bones scattering upon impact with the ground. A Dino Medal soon took its place.

"…S-such style! Such grace!" exclaimed Cole, stumbling backwards. "I… I was actually distracted by your battle skills. I'm not used to being beaten in battle… or in beauty." Dina met his eyes with hers, and he blushed slightly.

"…I've lost my style," he continued sadly, "and without that, I'm nothing!" He ran out of the cavern, sobbing. His two lackeys soon followed suit.

Dina watched after his retreating figure, and somehow remembered Pauleen's words on Icegrip Plateau: "_I can't believe I'm saying this, but they're not actually that bad._"

She shook the thought from her head and turned to the Spinal Pillar. It was damaged, and badly in need of repair. In fact, it looked like it would snap at any moment. Hastily digging in her pocket for the Calcium Injector, she located it, gripped it tightly, and stabbed it with all of her might into the base of the Spinal Pillar.

Slowly, the whitish, viscous liquid inside was pumped out of the syringe and into the pillar. Before Dina's very eyes, the damaged portion of the Spinal Pillar grew and completely healed within seconds.

Dina sighed in relief, sitting down heavily on the cavern floor. It had all been worth it… bravely fighting the Dunkleosteus, going back to the Bonehemoth, and fighting Cole. _All worth it_, she thought tiredly. _All worth it._

-.-.-.-.-.

**Yep, no Petrified Forest – instead, a battle with the most powerful fish ever to have existed. Aren't my plot twists just the best?**

**Anyway, I'm sure you all know what's coming in Chapter 15 – the final confrontation with the BB Brigade!**

**And speaking of the BB Brigade… we might have another love triangle conspiring…**

**Please review, we all like getting those.**

**TRIVIA: Dunkleosteus had enough jaw power to bite through chain-mail. And one wonders how it became extinct in the first place.**


	15. Vs Don Boneyard

**Finally, the moment we've – I mean, you've – all been waiting for! It's time for the defeat of the BB Brigade, once and for all!**

**For those of you who were wondering, I was inspired to add a Dina-vs-Dunkleosteus scene in the previous chapter when I watched Episode 9 of "Riders of Berk".**

**Poklover619: That really means a lot! I have to admit, a Dina-Rupert-Cole love triangle was indeed a stroke of brilliance. It's not often you see couples like Dina and Cole, so I'm thinking of expanding on it if I decide to do a sequel.**

**"Casey": Yes, but Nycto Ace actually has wings, so I consider it to be the most dragon-like of the Vivosaurs. I've never actually seen Elasmo's final form, but I'll go evolve him now for the sake of such knowledge.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Dina, Todd, Pauleen, and Rupert all stood at attention in Joe Wildwest's suite. They were tired, battered, and smelled like fish – but it didn't matter! They were once again victorious in protecting the Caliosteo Cup, this time from the worst fate yet. All four of them were confident that if the BB Brigade managed to try something else in the limited amount of time left until the Cup final, they could defeat them once more.

"Y'all have saved the Caliosteo Cup from a watery grave," Joe was saying proudly to his Patrol Team. "But that ain't even the best news of the day! When them BB varmints fled, they led us right to their base!"

Dina and her friends exchanged excited glances. That meant that they could chase down their longtime enemies and stop them for good. _I've never felt more prepared!_ Dina thought, her fatigue entirely forgotten.

Joe Wildwest looked off into the distance regretfully. "I'd love to chase 'em down and settle this once and fer all," he said, "but we've still got guests runnin' all over the park. I can't afford to send m'self or the staff out until things calm down 'round here."

Suddenly, Dina noticed that Pauleen and Rupert were giving her knowing looks. She instantly knew what they wanted to do, and she shared their determination. She gave each of them a nod in turn, then approached Joe.

"We volunteer," she declared. Todd glanced at her, completely startled.

He wasn't the only one. "Come again, pard? YOU wanna go to the BB Brigade base?" Joe nearly shouted in shock. Then he regained some of his composure and said, "Ya got guts ta spare, Dina, but I'm afraid I have to say no. This here's my fight, see? And it's way too dangerous, even for my Patrol Team."

Rupert stepped forth as if on cue. "I agree with Dina. The BareBones Brigade is on the run and in disarray. We'll not likely have such a chance again."

Then Pauleen interjected with her own opinion. "Rupert is right, digadig! Let's go take care of Don Boneyard once and for all, diga!"

There was a very long pause from Joe, but eventually, he sighed and admitted, "Can't say I'm comfortable with the idea, but I suppose yer right. … Alright, I'm issuing one last order to my Patrol Team – saddle up and ride to the BB Brigade Base, and take down that dastardly Don Boneyard!"

Dina led the cheer that followed, with Todd joining in with only mild enthusiasm.

"The base is on a tiny piece of land called Bonechip Island, which is located quite a ways away from here," explained Joe. "I'll talk to the helicopter pilot so y'all can fly there from the Cranial Isle heliport. Soon as things tucker down 'round here, I'll come and help ya out. Just promise to be careful, ya hear?"

His response were determined nods and solemn faces from the four of them. They were ready to defeat the BB Brigade for the last time, whatever the cost.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Bonechip Island**

The ride on the helicopter was long and tense. Dina constantly fiddled with her Dino Medals, asking again and again under her breath if her Vivosaurs were prepared. Each time, they replied in the affirmative – they were more than ready.

Todd hadn't stopped trembling ever since they got on the helicopter, and was now sitting in the back, knees clutched in his arms. Pauleen was stoic, staring straight ahead in great concentration. Rupert was calm, but occasionally glanced at the others to make sure that they were faring well. Dina might have imagined it, but she thought his pale face was just a tiny bit paler than usual.

After what seemed like days, the helicopter slowly stopped, then began to descend. Todd whimpered, Pauleen stiffened, and Dina balled her fists, putting her Vivosaurs away in her pocket. _The time has come,_ she thought. _Time to finish off the BareBones Brigade._

One at a time, they jumped out of the helicopter and onto a small, sandy beach. As soon as they were all out, the vehicle took off again. For now, they were on their own.

"So this is the BareBones Brigade's secret lair, eh?" Rupert asked to no one in particular. Pauleen grinned mirthlessly at the giant skull emblazoned above the steel doors. "Nice skull, digadig. Maybe be a bit more obvious next time."

Dina would have joined in the sarcasm, but suddenly the steel doors opened, and out ran two BareBones goons. One of them panicked at the sight of the quartet.

"Aw, damn! It's a raid! Them Fighters is here!" exclaimed one. The other one panicked as well, saying frantically, "Call the guard! Call the commanders! Call Don Boneyard!" Then they both rushed back inside.

Rupert was the first to step forward. "Let's finish these fools before Joe and his crew arrive. Move out, Patrol Team!"

He raced after the lackeys, Pauleen on his heels. Dina ran after them, but was stopped by a familiar groaning noise. It was Todd.

"Oooooh… ow, my stomach!" he moaned. "Why did I go to that all-you-can-eat chili dog buffet? Oooh… Go on without me, I just need to rest for a bit…" Dina sighed and simply nodded. As he ran to find a rock to hide behind, she pursued her two friends into the BB Brigade base.

The first sight that greeted her eyes was that of Pauleen and Rupert battling two lackeys, while a bunch of others looked on. As Rupert's Mapo took out a B-Rex, he shouted back to her, "Let us handle this, Dina! You go on ahead!"

Dina paused to give him a nod, indicating that she understood him, before racing up the metal stairs to a higher portion of the base.

But she didn't get far.

"Oh, wooooow, you're back," drawled Lola, advancing upon her from her vantage point at the top of the staircase. "You're not, like, following me or something, are you? Or maybe you're just, like, persistent. I had an aunt like that once. She was wiiiild, man."

She smugly blew a bubble with her gum, and her eyes glittered nastily. "Soooo, like, you know we're even from the whole Bonehemoth thing, riiiiight? Which means I'm tooootally going to thump you good, you dig?"

Dina smiled, but there was no laughter in it. It was more of a challenge than anything else. "I wouldn't have it any other way," she said simply, before summoning three of her Vivosaurs – Hopter, Teffla, and Radox.

Lola responded in kind, revealing three Boneysaurs. They were B-Rex, B-Jara, and B-Brachio. She had the first attack, thanks to B-Jara's superior speed. Commanding a quick Boney Stomp from B-Brachio, Teffla was hit moderately hard and rotated his position alongside his two companions.

"Hopter, use Beak Stab on B-Jara!" called Dina, planning to adopt the same strategy as last time. So far, it was working – Hopter's sharp beak skewered B-Jara, causing some of its bones to crack and dark energy to hiss out of the deep puncture.

Apparently, Lola saw what she was planning to do. "B-Jara, give him a Boney Screech," she ordered. B-Jara responded with a loud sound wave directed at Hopter. Hopter winced, but wasn't affected this time by its sleep ability.

"Now use Boney Tsunami, B-Brachio," Lola said to it. The huge tail was right on its way, slamming right into Hopter's midsection and sending him to the ground, winded. But Hopter's great defenses ensured that he still stood firmly on his feet.

"Teffla, give those Boneysaurs a Teffla Scale!" Teffla complied, waving his wings delicately and sending waves of poisonous dust at B-Brachio. Although it was nothing but bones and energy, the toxins sapped its strength regardless. "Now Radox, add insult to injury with Radox Headbutt!" B-Brachio was then subjected to a savage skull bashing, courtesy of Dina's trilobite companion.

"This is, like, really bugging me," growled Lola, then suddenly giggled. "Oh, wooow. That's hilaaaarious!" Then her mood changed again as she told B-Rex to use Bare Tactics on Hopter. The skeletal monster's tail whipped Hopter viciously, then its jaws snapped onto his wing.

Hopter arose from the assault with his eyes blinking red. _Oh, no, not Berserker,_ thought Dina. _But I have to remember… Hopter said that he'd always be with me no matter how angry he got. I have to believe in him, just like when we first fought the BB Brigade in Rainbow Canyon._

Dina braced herself, then yelled, "Hopter, use Rock Breath on B-Jara!" The red glow in Hopter's eyes intensified, then faded altogether as he shot a beam of earth at B-Jara. The beam blasted it right out of the air, sending it into an uncontrolled crash. It got to its feet, spasmed, then sank to the ground, defeated.

Lola slowly shut her eyes, clearly trying to keep her temper in check. Then she called out to her Boneysaurs, "B-Rex, hit Hopter back with your Skeletal Assault – and B-Brachio, take them for another ride."

Hopter didn't stand a chance in his weakened state – the triple threat of B-Rex's combined stomp, tail whip, chomp, and fire attacks beat down the last of his LP. Dina watched with balled fists as Hopter collapsed and retreated into his Dino Medal.

Picking it up, she murmured, "Nice work, Hopter. Now let us finish her." Concentrating once more on the battle, Dina shouted, "Teffla, use Teffla Dive!"

With a smug smirk on his face, Teffla ran at top speed towards B-Rex, hurricane winds surrounding him. The result was a powerful tornado that occurred at the sight of impact, flinging Teffla and B-Rex into the air.

B-Rex landed substantially less elegantly than Teffla, needless to say. But it wasn't out of the fight – it was now little more than a skull and a few other bones floating around in black essence.

Dina, unfortunately, didn't have the FP to afford another attack to send B-Rex back into its Dino Medal, so she ended her turn. Lola gave her team a calculating look, then confidently blew another bubble. "B-Brachio, give Teffla a Boney Crush, man," she ordered, eyes containing a nasty glint.

B-Brachio stomped with all its strength on the ground, creating a shockwave that hit Teffla dead-on. Despite the wave's power, Teffla managed to hang on. _I never fail to be impressed at how powerful he is now,_ Dina thought gratefully.

"Radox, finish B-Rex with Radox Blade!" The trilobite did so with pleasure, horn glowing an intense white as he sliced through the energy that held B-Rex's head in place. The skull clattered to the ground in a cloud of inky darkness, vanishing into its medallion.

Lola growled audibly at the loss of her second Boneysaur. "B-Brachio, take down the little one with Boney Stomp," she snarled. Radox's pupils dilated in panic as his immense foe's foot came plummeting down towards him.

Dust filled the room, and when it cleared, poor Radox was squashed underneath B-Brachio's heel. But as Dina was anticipating the telltale white glow that proceeded his transformation into a Dino Medal, Radox weakly stood up and shook himself back to full consciousness. He was badly beaten, but still ready to rumble.

"Atta boy, Radox!" she cheered. "Now work with Teffla to attack B-Brachio! Use Radox Headbutt and Teffla Soar!"

Teffla sprang into the air with a flutter of his wings, and Radox jumped on his back. They dove straight for B-Brachio, and when they neared it, they performed an incredible combo – Teffla somersaulted, whipping B-Brachio under the chin with his tail, and when he was right-side up again, Radox shot forward and rammed it in the exact same spot.

While B-Brachio was in pain and suffering from the loss of several vertebrae, it certainly wasn't out of the fight. A final order from Lola sent the Boneysaur's tail sweeping rapidly for Radox, flinging him the length of the room and creating a Radox-shaped indent in the wall. An instant later, Radox had finally retreated into his Dino Medal.

_I'll retrieve him later,_ Dina seethed, meeting Lola's smug stare with a murderous one. _Right now, I have unfinished business to attend to._

"Teffla, drain the last of B-Brachio's LP with Teffla Scale!" A single chirp of approval issued from Teffla's mouth as he thrummed his wings, making them vanish into a blur. A yellow wave of dust rushed forth, enveloping the entire battlefield. While Dina and Lola were unharmed, B-Brachio weakened, collapsed, and dissolved into its own Dino Medal.

Lola pocketed it, seemingly unconcerned. "You are some kind of groooovy Fighter, you know that?" she asked idly. But Dina thought that she detected a hint of admiration in her voice. "I, like, can't beat you anymore. It's craaaazy. …Soooo, I'm gonna make like my little bro's pants and split. …Bye."

And with that, she brushed past Dina and walked off as the only thing that had happened between them was a pleasant conversation.

Dina stared after her curiously until she was out of her sight, then continued down the corridor before her. From the sounds of battle that were echoing up from the ground floor, it was clear to her that Rupert and Pauleen still had their hands full. _That's fine. I can handle anyone that comes to stop me by myself._

As she moved down the hallway, she noticed that it was becoming progressively darker. Dina fought to adjust her eyes as the light gradually faded. Soon, it came to a point where it was bright enough to see somewhat, but still dark enough to hinder her sight.

Thus, she didn't see what happened next until it was nearly too late.

Lester jumped out from a side path and nearly flattened her. Fortunately, she managed to jump back out of the way as he crashed to the ground on his stomach.

"You're like a bad opening act," he complained bitterly as he picked himself up. "You stay too long, and no one wants to see you! Still, I knew you'd be the one to break into our base. You're just metal like that."

He held up a meaty fist threateningly. "Well, too bad for you. This is my chance to settle the score! There's only room for one lead in this band, and it's going to be me!"

Lester lunged forward with his fist thrown back, and Dina stumbled. There was a sudden flash of light that occurred in the near pitch-black corridor, and Lester screamed in pain.

When Dina's eyes finally adjusted to the contrasting darkness, she couldn't believe them. Radox had appeared from his Dino Medal, and was perched on the wailing Lester's head, viciously biting down with his mandibles! _Leave Dina alone, you creep!_ he screeched in fury. The sentence came out a little muffled, which made Dina laugh in both amusement and relief.

The large teenager scrambled down the corridor as fast as his thick legs would carry him, shouting curses and pained exclamations. Just as he turned a corner and ran out of sight, Radox let go and scuttled down the hall and back to Dina.

"Nice one, Radox," Dina said proudly. "And when I first met you, I thought you were a little weakling."

Instead of bowing his head in shame at that statement, he drew himself up with pride, legs waving in the air. _I admit it, I was weak,_ Radox stated. _But that all changed when I met you, Dina! You're the kind, strong Fighter I've always wanted to belong to. You're the one who inspired me to try my hardest and reach my full potential!_

Dina's heart swelled with love at the little arthropod and his speech. But now wasn't the time to get emotional. Her and her team had a job to do. "Let's go, Radox," she invited. "We're still not done."

Radox reverted back to a medal, and Dina pocketed it. But she hadn't taken three steps when another blinding light came from her pocket, and Teffla was suddenly there beside her. _I'm coming with you, Dina,_ he said firmly and loyally. _Don Boneyard's dangerous, and I want to be by your side until the end._

Making no argument, Dina nodded gratefully and continued down the hallway. It was quiet, as the sounds of battle and Lester's screaming had faded entirely. Dina and Teffla made almost no noise as they continued on, the thick carpet under their feet dampening even the Vivosaur's heavy footsteps.

All too quickly, they reached the end of the long hallway. Before them stood an immense door with a huge skull decorating the front. Dina held her breath and grimaced. "This must be Don Boneyard's quarters," she muttered, voice shaking only the tiniest bit. "Teffla, everyone, are you ready?"

Teffla nodded behind her. _Always!_ he growled. _We're right behind you,_ mumbled Tricera. _With you until the very end,_ chirped Hopter. _Let's rip him to pieces,_ snarled Nychus. _Come on, Dina, let's do this thing!_ Radox encouraged her. With a deep intake of breath, Dina pushed open the doors with a loud creak.

Her footsteps echoed softly on the hard metal floor. She took the last few paces up to Don Boneyard's podium, scowling at the back of the skeleton's head, and waited for his reaction.

She didn't have long to wait.

"Bwa ha ha!" came the laugh, so sudden and loud that it made Dina flinch slightly. "You have done well to make it here to my inner sanctum. But playtime is over. Let's see if you have the guts to beat me!"

Don Boneyard turned around, revealing his face to her for the first time. He opened his mandible to speak, but something made him hesitate.

"Wait," he said. "Do I know you, by any chance?" Dina hadn't been expecting this. What would make Don Boneyard think that he knew her somehow?

"Never mind," he then said decisively. "I'll have time to bone up on such things later. Until the Caliosteo Cup is cancelled, I will not allow myself to be defeated!"

With a mighty roar, three Dino Medals rose up from behind him and bobbed up and down as if in a great wind. "Behold the terrifying Boneysaurs of Don Boneyard!" he proclaimed, and the three medallions rushed at Dina.

Colored flashes of light burst forth as the Dino Medals struck the ground. First was B-Rex, emerging with its head thrown back and roaring at the top of its proverbial lungs.

Next came B-Ptera, soaring from the confines of its medallion with a ghostly screech. Circling around the room twice, it finally stopped and hovered in place behind B-Rex.

Finally, out came a strange creature that Dina had never seen before. It was made up of bones, as all Boneysaurs were, but had the addition of springy legs, a coiled, chameleon-like tail, and other odd features. It howled in a high-pitched voice as it bounced up and down merrily, glowing eyes burning ferociously.

"I'm going to beat you with your own funny bone! Take them all down, Teffla, Nychus, and Tricera!" screamed Dina determinedly, and they appeared at her will, all roaring with anger and confidence. The two teams faced off for a few seconds – one of flesh and blood, the other of bone and ectoplasm.

Flipping open her Fighter's Watch, Dina saw with disbelieving eyes that Don Boneyard would have the first attack. _This isn't good,_ she thought. _We're going to need every advantage we can get, and so far we aren't getting any._

"Salada!" ordered Don Boneyard. "Attack Tricera with your Caesar Roll!" The odd creature chirped and bounced a ways into the air, landing and facing the opposite direction. Its thick tail uncoiled and forcefully whipped Tricera in the face, right between the horns. He grunted in pain, but stomped back into battle with ease.

"Nychus, Nychus Claw on B-Rex!" The raptor leapt at B-Rex, landing on its snout and slashing it without mercy. Dina saw that her claws had scored a critical hit. She chose to end her turn and save up her excess FP for later.

Don Boneyard didn't hesitate, telling B-Ptera to use Boney Swirl. The skeletal pterosaur churned up a huge wind that repeatedly slammed into Nychus. She screamed and clawed at her face for a second, then shook her head to clear it and determinedly hopped back into her position.

Dina gritted her teeth as she saw the damage that Nychus had sustained. "Teffla, attack B-Ptera with Teffla Soar!" Teffla obeyed, fluttering into the air straight at B-Ptera. But each time he tried to attack, B-Ptera would glide just out of reach. It let out a clattering laugh as it continued to do so, with Teffla becoming more and more frustrated.

While they battled it out in the air above, Dina focused on Don Boneyard's next attack – a Caesar Roll from Salada. Tricera was once again whipped hard. At this rate, Tricera would be defeated in only a few more turns.

Don Boneyard wasn't done, however, as he finished up with a Boney Roar from B-Rex. Tricera, Nychus, and Teffla above them were moderately blasted with a potent sound wave from B-Rex's jaws.

"How's it coming, Teffla?" called Dina. Teffla responded by finally hitting B-Ptera under the chin with his tail, sending it into a series of aerial somersaults. Teffla lightly landed in his position while B-Ptera regained control of itself and hovered in place once more.

"OK, Nychus, your turn! Turn Salada into compost with Nychus Combo!" A series of attacks brought Salada to its springy knees – a few claw swipes followed by a barrage of flying kicks. Salada got up painfully and shrieked its rage at Nychus, who simply smirked.

Dina chose to finish her turn with a Running Smash from Tricera. He slammed into B-Rex's midsection, throwing him back several meters before he slid to a halt. With a quick glance at her Fighter's Watch, Dina saw that her attacks were having a definite effect – but then again, so were Don Boneyard's.

"Salada, use Charge!" The strange Boneysaur did so, lightning bolts surrounding it as it charged power. "Now, B-Ptera, use Boney Cutter!" Teffla was hit multiple times in a second by B-Ptera's sharp wings as it swirled around him like a tornado.

"Now's our chance, Tricera! Send B-Ptera back to the graveyard with a Triple Threat attack!" Tricera pawed the ground once, twice, then charged like a tank at B-Ptera. He dealt three blows, the final one taking the form of a torpedo-like plunge from above.

B-Ptera was crushed between the hard floor and Tricera's horns. With a shriek, it exploded into a storm of bones and dark matter, which was sucked into a Dino Medal exactly a second later.

Dina held her breath worriedly as she saw Don Boneyard's FP climb. "It's time, Salada!" he roared. "Use a Charged Thousand Islands attack!"

Salada leapt high into the air using its spring-like legs, and at the same time, the electric charge that it had built up concentrated around its feet. Then, with shocking speed, its legs uncoiled, sending its feet kicking out at Tricera multiple times a second!

Tricera simply couldn't take the pressure anymore. He staggered, then his legs gave out and he fell on his side. A Dino Medal was all that remained of him after that.

Dina silently swore that she would avenge Tricera's defeat with all of her power. "Teffla, payback time! Give Salada a Teffla Dive!" A mighty shriek uncurled from Teffla's throat as he sprinted at Salada with hurricane wings swirling all around him. Salada had just landed when Teffla collided with it, and chaos ensued as the winds exploded all around the chamber.

Even Don Boneyard had trouble hanging on as the winds reached their peak, then died down as suddenly as they had appeared. Salada crash-landed spectacularly – but unlike the other Boneysaurs, didn't lose bones or spill black energy from its wounds.

"Bwa ha ha! Impressive!" laughed Don Boneyard. "But it will take more than that to defeat me! Salada, strike back with another Thousand Islands!" Salada instantly forgot its pain and battered Teffla with a multitude of rapid kicks. Although hurt, Teffla was certainly stronger than he looked, as he rapidly shook off the impacts.

Dina commanded Nychus to attack B-Rex with Nychus Venom. _Take this, you brute!_ she screeched, before lunging once more at the far bigger opponent standing opposite her. She quickly lashed out with her talons, and before B-Rex even knew what was happening, she had struck multiple times with her poisonous sickle-claws. She finished off with a curtain of hot fire that severely burned the Boneysaur.

"Teffla, sap its strength with a Teffla Scale!" Using up the last of her FP, Dina called out the order, and Teffla responded with the usual wave of yellow dust. B-Rex recoiled and roared weakly as the poison washed over it, but it still held on bravely.

Don Boneyard's mandible seemed to clench in frustration as he ordered Salada to attack with Caesar Roll and B-Rex to attack with Bare Tactics. Both attacks hit Nychus, subjecting her to a tri-fecta made up of two tail lashes and a bite. Now Nychus was getting weak as well, with her tail drooping and arms hanging exhaustedly.

"It's all or nothing, Nychus!" encouraged Dina, causing the raptor to perk up considerably. "Use your Nychus Combo to finish B-Rex!"

As powerful as the following attack was, B-Rex still wasn't yet out. However, Dina finally got a bit of luck, taking the form of the poison in Nychus' claws. B-Rex sagged as the venom started to take effect.

But Don Boneyard didn't seem discouraged. "B-Rex, use Law of the Jungle!" he ordered, and B-Rex and Salada both began glowing. B-Rex shone a healthy green, while Salada was glowing with a sickly red. _What trickery is this?_ Dina asked herself.

She was soon to find out – B-Rex had absorbed some of Salada's LP to heal itself. While Salada was now in a lot worse of a condition than before, B-Rex now looked a lot better. "Damn you, you stupid skeleton," Dina muttered.

Suddenly, she remembered that Vivosaurs weren't just about attacking – a lot of them had special skills that could aid their allies. "Nychus, support Teffla with your Quicken skill!"

Now Nychus shone blue, and a wave of energy shot forth from her, enveloping Teffla and causing her to glow as well. _Yes, I feel energized!_ exclaimed Teffla. _Now I'll be quick enough to dodge Don Boneyard's attacks!_ Dina saw Nychus give him a thumbs-up and a wink.

Ending her turn early again, Dina let Don Boneyard make his move. He did so after a bit of consideration, telling B-Rex to finish Nychus off with Bare Tactics. Its tail knocked the raptor off of her feet, and its jaws did the rest. As Nychus' Dino Medal came to rest on the floor, doubt and worry began to creep into Dina's heart. Now it was all up to Teffla.

At least she had a bit more of a fighting chance, as Nychus' poison had begun to drain a bit of B-Rex's LP. _It's about time for some good news,_ Dina said to herself, but instead of saying this out loud, she commanded, "Teffla, take down B-Rex with Teffla Soar!"

The Super Evolver leapt into the sky, then dove down at B-Rex, savagely whipping it in the side and throwing it to the ground. B-Rex now looked just as badly beaten as it did before it healed itself.

B-Rex moved to snarl at Teffla, about to strike back, but Don Boneyard held it back. "Let them go for now," he ordered, and the Boneysaur reluctantly obeyed. _He's saving up FP for an attack to finish Teffla,_ realized Dina. _That's not going to happen!_

"Teffla, one more time! Use your Teffla Soar to defeat B-Rex!" With a nod and chirp of understanding, Teffla was off, soaring high before plunging back down to collide with B-Rex's skull.

It was like an invisible shockwave had radiated out from the impact site, as B-Rex's bones instantly scattered back and out as if the Boneysaur had exploded. The skull's eye sockets flickered, then died out. B-Rex's Dino Medal hit the ground not even a second after that.

Now, it was only one on one. Teffla versus Salada. This, Dina reflected, would be the battle to determine the fate of the Caliosteo Islands. _I can't lose!_ she screamed inwardly.

"Salada, use your Wild Downer!" decreed Don Boneyard, and Salada was quick to take action. Uncurling its tail, it sprang high into the air and began to whirl like a top. It crashed back down and spun right for Teffla, green energy radiating out from the spinning Boneysaur.

The Wild Downer attack struck Teffla like a pile driver. The huge Super Evolver was knocked comically to the other side of the room, crashing into the wall and causing the chamber to shake. Teffla remained stuck to the wall for a second, then collapsed.

"Teffla, no!" Dina screeched, voice breaking.

But Teffla didn't dissolve into his Dino Medal. Instead of a white glow, he became immersed in an orange one. His eyelids snapped open, and Dina could see his eyes burning with rage and justice. With a mighty shriek, he stood to his full height once more, with his Parting Blow ability activated.

_We're going to end this!_ he declared in a voice burning with a passionate fire that Dina had never heard before. _Let's go, Dina! Let's finish him!_

Tears of joy and relief in her eyes, Dina cheered, "That's the spirit! Now give Salada a Teffla Dive at maximum power!"

Salada's glowing eyes widened at the sight of its enemy, shining with orange rage, becoming cloaked in high-speed winds and rushing right for it. Teffla hit Salada with every shred of force he could muster, creating a huge explosion of winds that flung the doors behind Dina wide open and that shook the room as if it were in the middle of an earthquake.

Tons of dust was tossed about, obscuring Dina's vision. Coughing, she struggled to see through. As the dust settled and faded, an unbelieving smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Teffla still stood. Salada, however, was no more but a sparkling medallion.

Dina's smile widened. It was an expression of combined happiness and relief. _Finally… finally the Caliosteo Islands are safe. The BareBones Brigade is no more._

Don Boneyard, despite his lack of a facial expression, looked distraught. "M-my Boneysaurs were defeated?!" he stuttered, an odd manner of speaking for one so intimidating. "But it would take a Fighter of such unbelievable skill to…"

He paused abruptly and stared at Dina as if seeing her in a new light. She glared defiantly back.

"Oh ho ho!" he laughed suddenly. "Yes, I knew that I had met you some time ago… you are Dina! And that yellow reptile with you used to be your Aeros!"

Dina leapt back as if she had been scalded. This was probably the most unexpected thing she could have ever heard from Don Boneyard's mouth.

"Of course," Don Boneyard continued. "It really is you, isn't it, Dina? I had no idea that you had entered the Cup." Dina maintained her completely shocked expression, while thinking in the back of her mind, _How the hell does he know me? We've never met before! And Teffla never mentioned meeting a talking skeleton any time in his past… Who… just who… is Don Boneyard?_

Now the empty eye sockets of Don Boneyard's skull almost seemed to widen slightly. He looked almost panicked, and Dina became curious and slightly concerned as to what he was going to say next.

"You must listen to me, Dina, and Aeros if you can hear me!" he said, voice growing flustered. "The Caliosteo Cup cannot be allowed to continue! Do not trust anything Joe Wildwest says! He is the reason Cotton left the islands! Because he truly is…"

But before Don Boneyard could continue, there was a shout from the hallway. "Are you alright, Dina?" It was Rupert. Next came Todd's voice – "Dina! Joe's here!"

Don Boneyard whirled to face the other direction, away from Dina. "We will meet again, Dina! For your sake…"

Then, in a puff of white smoke, he vanished.

Dina's mind was left in a complete mess as she tried to comprehend what Don Boneyard had just told her. _Joe Wildwest… don't trust him… Cotton left because of him… Don Boneyard… he knows me and Teffla…_ She couldn't complete any of the sentences. They were all too preposterous to even think about.

Suddenly, Rupert and Pauleen were there. "Where is Don Boneyard, Dina?" asked Rupert concernedly. Dina, unconsciously shook her head and replied, "He… he escaped…"

Pauleen angrily stamped her foot. "He got away?! Aw, digadig it all! All of our work was for nothing!"

But then, Joe Wildwest was there with them. Dina knew she should be relieved to see him, but… the things Don Boneyard had said about him ruined it. Instead of joy, she felt suspicion grow where suspicion never had.

She could barely listen as Joe proclaimed, "I wouldn't worry yer pretty little head 'bout that now. We captured three of the BareBones commanders and all their lackeys. Cotton's nowhere to be found. Without any o' them, ol' Don Boneyard can't do much except twiddle his thumbs. But now… now we can hold the Cup final like we always wanted!"

Rupert and Pauleen cheered, and Dina broke out of her thoughts long enough to cheer half-heartedly with them. If anyone noticed her somber expression, they chose not to say. "I can't wait ta see which'a you emerges as the champ, Dina and Rupert," Joe said to them, then left the chamber.

"He's right, digadig!" enthused Pauleen. "It's the ultimate victory for the Patrol Team!"

Rupert smiled at Dina, a little shyly. But that shyness soon evaporated. "I'm afraid this is where our era of cooperation ends, Dina. The next time we meet, it will be as rivals in the Fossil Stadium."

Dina smiled and hugged him. "Don't hold back just because it's me you'll be fighting," she said jokingly. "I wouldn't dream of it," agreed Rupert, hugging her tightly back.

The two of them left to follow Joe, leaving Dina alone with her troubling thoughts.

But that wasn't to last, as Todd soon came rushing to meet her. "You're awesome, Dina!" he cheered. "You took out pretty much the entire BB Brigade by yourself!" But then he paused, noticing her grim expression. "Hey, what's wrong? Try to look happy, all right?"

Dina shook her head and relayed everything Don Boneyard had said back to him.

Todd, surprisingly, looked only mildly shocked. "Don Boneyard knew who you were? Well, naturally. You're in the final, after all, so you're pretty famous already."

Dina began to protest nervously. "That's not it. He spoke to me as if he knew me personally…"

But Todd wouldn't hear any of it. "Aw, don't worry about it, Dina. Now come on! You gotta get ready for the final!" He dragged her out of the chamber, out of the BB Brigade's Base, and into the helicopter.

_Is he right? Am I just worrying too much? Am I making connections that don't exist?_ Dina asked herself. Teffla read her thoughts and spoke up helpfully. _Maybe that's so,_ he said thoughtfully. _But I'd hold onto these thoughts for now. These nonexistent connections… might actually exist._

The helicopter whisked the Patrol Team away to Cranial Isle, leaving the beach, and indeed the base, completely empty. Thus, there was no one there to see Salada emerge from the doors and scamper off into the jungle.

-.-.-.-.-.

**With the defeat of Don Boneyard, this fanfic is almost finished! We're rapidly nearing the climax, so things are only going to get better and more suspenseful from here on out.**

**Review, or I'll get Don B. to sic his Boneysaurs on you.**

**Ta ta for now!**

**TRIVIA: Like the addition of Salada? I thought another B-Brachio would be boring, so I decided to spice things up with a bit of greenery. I love salads, by the way.**


	16. Achieving the Impossible

**It's time for probably the most important moment in Dina's Fossil Fighting career – the final round of the Caliosteo Cup!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Dina heard an urgent beeping coming from her pocket. She drew out her Paleopager and checked the message waiting for her.

"_The Caliosteo Cup's final match will soon get under way. The match will pit Dina against Rupert. Finalists are asked to check in at Cranial City's Fighter Station_."

Putting away her Paleopager, Dina smiled as she subsequently took out her five Dino Medals. There they were – Teffla, Radox, Nychus, Tricera, and Hopter – her five teammates. Three of them would be battling, but to Dina, it didn't matter which three participated. They were all trusted friends that she could depend on with her life.

_It's finally time,_ said Teffla. _All of our training, our battling, and our experience as friends have brought us here._ Dina readily agreed. "You've all done me proud, guys," she said fondly, touching each of the Dino Medals in turn.

Dina entered the Fighter Station to find it almost empty. Everyone was already in the Fossil Stadium, waiting with their breaths held for the battle of the century. They all knew what a fight both Dina and Rupert could make, and they were beyond excited to see the two best Fossil Fighters they had ever seen go head-to-head in a colossal clash.

Steeling herself, Dina walked up to the staff member waiting beside the door leading into the Common Room. "Pardon me, but you're Dina?" the staff member asked. Dina nodded, and she continued, "Rupert is already standing by, so if you're ready…"

Suddenly, a male staff member ran up, all out of breath. He whispered something urgently into his fellow employee's ear, and she gasped. "What?! Rupert did what?!"

Dina's heart sank. This could not be good news.

The staff member ran off, and the woman turned to face Dina again, this time with an uneasy expression on her face. "Um, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but… well, Rupert… His father just came and took him away."

Dina's heart sank even farther and faster, like a lead ball plummeting into the depths of the ocean. And, just like that ball traveling into the cold, dark depths, her heart froze. "No, it can't be…" she breathed.

Pauleen was suddenly there, rushing so fast that she nearly hit Dina. "Diga! Digadig!" she exclaimed, face a mask (pardon the pun) of horror. "Awful! So awful! Digadig! Rupert, diga!"

Now she was hyperventilating. "You gotta… you need to…" Pauleen took a long, deep breath and started over. "I diga-don't know what to do! Come on, digadig!" Dina rushed alongside her friend, toward the place where Rupert was.

Him and his father were outside, near the heliport. "Do not make me repeat myself," the FossilDig CEO said in a voice as cold and hard as ice. "You will withdraw from the Cup, and you will do so now."

Rupert, apparently, had changed since becoming friends with Dina. Instead of trembling and quietly obeying like he once would have done, he sneered and said, "And abandon all the fine advertising our – I mean, _your_ company would receive? I've come so far, and I refuse to accept this!"

The FossilDig CEO seemed to look off into the distance and state emotionlessly, "I analyzed the Fossil Battle data of your opponent, this 'Dina' person. I then used the data to run battle simulations against your team. …The results were disheartening. Your odds of victory are only 50 percent. This event will be seen the world over. If you lose, it will cause irreparable harm to FossilDig, Inc. We cannot take that risk, and you must withdraw from the Cup thusly."

Rupert seemed enraged. "That's madness!" he spat. "There's no way to tell who will win a battle until you step into the stadium!" Then, to Dina and Pauleen's shock, there was a burst of white light, and a huge, threatening beast was looming over Rupert, snarling down at his father. Dina couldn't help but think that the Vivosaur was almost evil-looking.

Acknowledging his Vivosaur's presence for only a second, Rupert continued even more ferociously, "Besides, Mapo King and I want to battle Dina. It's fun!" Mapo King roared, stomping his foot on the ground and causing a small tremor.

"We will address the issue of your selfish petulance later," his father stated flatly. "The company helicopter is waiting. Let's go." Seeing that the moment was at hand, Dina and Pauleen glanced at each other, nodded once, and ran to stand in the CEO's way.

"Are these the ones who have filled your head with such nonsense?" Rupert's father said with disdain. Dina felt a horrible rage take hold of her, unlike anything she'd experienced before. If she was Hopter, she'd have gone Berserk.

"Very well," said the FossilDig CEO, as if arriving at a conclusion. "If you wish to battle this person, I shall have to remove her from the equation." He revealed a shiny, disk-like object attached to his arm and said, "I challenge you, Rupert, and one of your friends to a Fossil Battle!"

Dina glared and hissed, "You're finished. No one talks that way to Rupert and lives to tell of it." Rupert stood by her side and murmured, "That thing's a Fossil Battle computer developed by my father. With it, he'll be able to fight us both at the same time, with two separate teams of Vivosaurs."

Stepping up to the challenge confidently, Dina said firmly, "I'm going to help. By ourselves, we're strong. Together, Rupert, we're unbeatable." Impossibly, Rupert smiled with happiness and gratitude. It was an expression that Dina would remember, and cherish, for the rest of her life.

But the time for battling had come. Rupert's father sent out three immense sauropods against Dina – Perso, Seismo, and Ryden, a Super Evolver. He used, as Rupert had warned, a separate team to challenge his son.

"Let's go, Tricera, Hopter, and Nychus!" Her three Vivosaurs appeared with individual battle cries, as determined as she was to help Rupert defeat his father and allow him to battle in the final.

Dina's Fighter's Watch revealed that the three beasts the FossilDig CEO was using were all slow, allowing her to have the first attack. "Hopter, take Ryden out of the picture with Rock Breath!"

Clumsily flapping into the air, Hopter released a whirling beam of dirt and rocks that relentlessly pummeled Ryden. It emerged from the storm in a state of confusion.

Ending her turn, Dina was pleased to see Ryden use a Ryden Rage attack against one of its own teammates! Perso was badly shaken up by the tail attack that Ryden slammed against it. The only reaction the FossilDig CEO gave was a slight tightening of his mouth. He ended his turn, as he no longer had enough FP to attack.

"Nychus, focus on Perso now! Use your Nychus Venom!" The raptor raced up to the far larger Vivosaur and viciously slashed at it with both talons and sickle-claws. She finished up with a bolt of fire that burned Perso's flanks and legs. Unfortunately, her venom didn't seem to have had any effect this time.

All of a sudden, there was a commotion that caught Dina and Rupert's attention. The Mammoth Vision video screen was coming around, and on the screen were none other than Ty Ranno and Trip Cera! And beneath the television, a horde of Fighters was converging on the battlefield to watch!

"_Looks like the boss is back from vacation,_" commented Ty Ranno, "_and he's run the numbers. It seems as if our heroes are in trouble._" And of course, Trip Cera piped up to further encourage the two friends, "_Who needs numbers?! Real Fossil Fighters battle from the SOUL!_"

Dina was touched at their kind words, but she knew that she had a battle to win. "Tricera, attack Perso with your Running Smash!" The blue brute grunted, then rumbled forward, ramming Perso in one of its elephantine legs.

Without emotion as usual, the CEO commanded a Siegetower attack from Perso – then stopped dead as Ryden, still confused, hit Perso with another Ryden Rage attack. Gritting his teeth visibly now, he commanded a Siegetower attack more forcefully this time. Perso seemed to cringe at the harsh treatment it was getting, and slammed his foot down on Tricera.

Dina caught sight of Ryden starting to shake off its daze. "Tricera and Nychus, use Enflame and Quicken on Hopter!" she called, and they both released rings of power that enveloped Hopter, increasing its speed and strength. "Now Hopter, give Ryden another wild ride with Rock Breath!"

Once again, Ryden survived through the funnel of dirt with a bewildered expression on its face. And once more, it used a Ryden Rage against Seismo this time, dealing a critical hit and taking out a third of its LP. However, the Auto LP ability ensured that a bit of damage was healed automatically.

Rupert glanced over at her match and his eyes widened in awe at Dina's strategy – to have Ryden pummel its two teammates and leave Dina to sweep up the pieces. Thanks to Hopter, Dina had managed to sway an opponent that, otherwise, would have been nearly impossible to defeat.

The FossilDig CEO finished his turn, allowing Dina another opportunity to deal big damage. "Tricera, use Tricera Combo on Seismo!" The twin blows staggered Seismo, beating its LP down to slightly less than half of what it used to be. "Now Nychus, use a Nychus Claw for good measure!" The little Vivosaur did so with glee, dealing a little bit more damage with her claws.

But luck seemed to be finished with Dina. Rupert's father ordered a Ryden Wrath attack from his Super Evolver, and it actually listened. It stomped the ground, sending a fissure of cracks running along the ground toward Nychus. A second stomp made the ground explode into chunks of earth and concrete, instantly sending Nychus into her Dino Medal.

"It's alright, Nychus," assured Dina. "We'll avenge you." Then, in a fiercer voice, she commanded Hopter and Tricera to use their strongest attacks. Ryden was once again battered into confusion with a Rock Breath, and Perso suffered from a deadly Triple Threat from Tricera.

The next Vivosaur to go was Perso. He already had a lot of his LP taken down, and Ryden's poorly aimed Ryden Rage move knocked him right into his own medallion. It was once again a fair battle, this time with two on two.

"You're going down next, Seismo!" Dina yelled across the battlefield. "Tricera and Hopter, take care of it with Running Smash and Beak Stab!" The pair moved in perfect unison, Hopter running with speed, and Tricera charging with brute force. They struck together, each landing critical hits that took a nice bite from Seismo's LP. It now only had less than a quarter left.

"Use Seismo Stomp on Hopter," commanded the FossilDig CEO. Subsequently, Hopter let out a startled squawk as he was flattened by Seismo's huge feet. But he got right back up, more determined than ever to defeat this powerful foe.

The look in Ryden's eyes was becoming clearer as he began to focus. "You know what to do, Hopter," Dina told him. Hopter smirked through his Rock Breath attack at the FossilDig CEO's growl of frustration and fury. Ryden was once again completely out of it.

Seismo didn't see the next attack coming (although it should have) – a powerful strike from Ryden's tail. It struck with a mighty *boom*, throwing Seismo to the ground on his side. One flash of light later, Seismo had retreated from the battle.

And now, only Ryden still stood against Dina.

She chose to end her turn, saving up her FP for a big assault later. Ryden helped somewhat – as it turned out, he was so confused that he simply didn't notice the CEO's order to attack. Dina was left with another free turn to stock up on FP.

But the next turn, Ryden's confusion faded, and Hopter was struck with a powerful Ryden Rage attack. Almost instantly, the Berserker ability activated, and the FossilDig CEO let a smug smile creep across his face. He clearly thought that Hopter was as good as defeated.

"I don't think so," Dina smirked. "Hopter, send Ryden back to dream-land with Rock Breath!" At first nothing happened – then the red glow faded from Hopter's eyes and, to the eternal shock of the FossilDig CEO, he blasted Ryden with another funnel of earth. And yet again, Ryden was knocked senseless.

Furiously, the CEO fruitlessly commanded Ryden to use Ryden Wrath, but Ryden ignored him. Not only did it use Ryden Rage instead, it accidentally hit itself with its own tail! Dina couldn't help chuckling at the sight of the Super Evolver roaring in pain and surprise.

"Tricera, keep beating down his LP with Running Smash!" Indeed, a chunk of LP was taken from Ryden as Tricera's subsequent tackle scored a critical hit. Ryden still had, however, a little less than a quarter left.

Another tail whip from the Super Evolver whacked Hopter solidly, leaving him with only a sliver of LP to keep him standing. Struggling to get back up on his talons, Hopter couldn't help wincing as he exerted himself.

Knowing that Hopter's time was limited, Dina decided to get Ryden freshly confused before Hopter retreated into his Dino Medal. "One more Rock Breath, Hopter! Let's do this!"

Hopter released his attack, but because of his fatigue, the beam wasn't as strong as it usually was. It only took a chip off of Ryden's LP, and didn't leave him any more confused than he was before. "Damn," cursed Dina, just in time to see Hopter fall victim to a Ryden Wrath attack. He struggled, squawked miserably, then dissolved into a Dino Medal.

"Alright, Tricera," said Dina. "Let's strike with all of our power. Use Triple Threat!" Tricera rumbled forward at the weakened Ryden and struck once, twice, and thrice at the titanic Super Evolver – first a ram, then an uppercut, and then a torpedo-like spiral downwards.

All three blows combined to pack a powerful punch that staggered Ryden. The powerful sauropod took a couple of weak steps, threw its head back and roared, and finally exploded into white light.

The FossilDig CEO didn't just look shocked – he looked completely thunderstruck. Dina couldn't help grinning, especially when Ryden's Dino Medal fell from above and bounced off of his head.

"I-I don't understand!" he protested futilely. "My simulations assured me of victory!"

As Ty Ranno and Trip Cera discussed the outcome of the battle and the Fighters chattered in the background, Rupert said firmly and quietly. "Listen to me, Father. I wish to fight Dina in the cup final. I want to battle without any restrictions. Even if I lose, I will never regret that I tried."

For the first time, Dina saw something similar to emotion cross the CEO's face. "Oh Rupert," he sighed, "it's time I told you the truth. I wasn't just trying to keep you shackled for the sake of the company."

Understandably, Rupert, Dina, and Pauleen weren't convinced. But Rupert's father continued anyway. "You were always skilled at battling," he said. "Even as an infant, the joy on your face when you battled was something to behold. I vowed that you would never know the bitter sting of defeat. I only wanted you to be happy, but now I see that I may have been wrong."

Dina's face had softened slightly, but Rupert clearly wasn't willing to forgive his father just yet. "Father…" he began, but was cut off from saying more. "I look forward to seeing you battle in the final," the FossilDig CEO said, then walked away without another word.

Pauleen cheered, breaking the tension. "Hooray, digadig!" she cried happily. "We've solved all the problems, again! Now come on! You two need to get ready for the final!" She ran off with the rest of the Fighters toward the Fossil Stadium.

Rupert gently laid a hand on Dina's shoulder, making her turn to face him. "I'll be waiting in the Common Room," he said. "And Dina… thank you." Dina grinned and hugged him tightly. "Anytime," she said in his ear.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Fossil Stadium**

"_Well folks, we've finally reached the granddaddy of them all!_" announced Ty Ranno from his usual vantage point above the stadium. "_It's finally the final of the Caliosteo Cup!_"

Trip Cera said worriedly, "_This Rupert guy seems pretty tough, Ty. But I bet I could take him… if I really wanted to._"

Dina couldn't help but smile as she stood across from Rupert. They were surrounded by the cheering of the crowd, which was wilder than ever before. Joe and the three Staff Leaders were there, and Dina could also see Todd and Pauleen sitting in the stands as well.

Her smile grew a little more as she recalled Rupert's words to her in the Common Room – "_Well, here we are, Dina. Do you remember when I said I didn't care if I lost as long as I tried my hardest? Well, that's not quite accurate, because I do not intend to lose to you. I'm sure you feel the same. I would ask for nothing more. Now let's do our best and show them all what a real Fossil Battle is._"

Dina allowed herself a moment to be lost in her memories, then quickly focused on the battle about to start. "Stand by for battle," called Rupert confidently, "Zino, Cheirus, and Mapo King!"

His Vivosaurs appeared one by one. First was Zino, a tall, bird-like Vivosaur with long, blade-like claws. Cheirus was next, an even more bird-like creature that wasn't as stocky as Zino. Finally Mapo King appeared, just as evil-looking as before. It gave a guttural roar that echoed through the stadium and silenced the crowd momentarily.

With a gulp, Dina hastily shook off her initial fear and immediately knew who she would choose to fight for her. "Show no mercy," she shouted, "Teffla, Hopter, and Radox!" The trio emerged from their Dino Medals with individual flashes of multicolored light.

There was Hopter, solid and sturdy. With difficulty, he rose into the air and screeched to the heavens, ready to fight his hardest no matter how Berserk he got. _For glory!_ he called.

There was Radox, small but determined. He jumped into the air and shrieked with confidence. He wanted to prove to Dina, the crowd, and most importantly, his old master that he was certainly no weakling. _For respect!_ he shouted.

And finally, there was Teffla. Dina's friend ever since they had met two years ago, he was tough and ferocious despite his dainty appearance. They knew each other inside and out, and both knew that the Super Evolver would go as far as to throw himself off a cliff for Dina's sake. Of all of them, Teffla was the most prepared to face the jaws and claws of Rupert's Vivosaurs in the name of his mistress. _And for friendship!_ he proclaimed.

Dina's heart swelled up with pride and love at her Vivosaurs' loyalty, then it was on to the battle of the century! "Teffla, start off with a good old Teffla Scale on Mapo King!" A chirp sounded from Teffla as he flapped his wings like never before, dusting the entire arena with toxic powder. The putrid yellow dust settled over Mapo King, draining his strength as he tried to brush it off. Hopter speared him with a Beak Stab attack for good measure.

Then it was Rupert's turn, as he commanded a Reaper attack from Zino. It stomped forward eagerly, emerald claws held high and gleaming in the sunlight. But those claws were heavy and unwieldy, and Zino's deadly slash missed Hopter by a wide margin.

But Cheirus followed that up with a Beak of Fury, repeatedly pecking at Hopter. The pterosaur squawked indignantly as Cheirus' beak continuously jabbed him.

"Don't let it bother you, Hopter," shouted Dina, "and strike it back with a Rock Wing!" Hopter stood on his hind legs and flapped awkwardly but strongly, blowing a sandstorm into Cheirus' face. Cheirus chirped in pain, feet sliding on the ground as the sand and dirt pushed it back.

"Now Radox, give Chierus a Radox Headbutt!" The trilobite streaked forward instantly, ramming Cheirus savagely. Their skulls met with a dull thud, and Cheirus was left moaning and clawing at its head.

Rupert smiled at his friend's progress against him, and ordered Zino to move into Mapo King's position at the front. Then, he commanded Zino to use Cleaver. Over-eager, the Vivosaur charged at Hopter once more, swiping with its claws. The first swing missed, but Zino came at Hopter again, this time bringing his claws together in a scissoring motion. Hopter wasn't prepared for this, and failed to avoid it. The critical hit that ensued took a third of his LP.

And Rupert wasn't done, either. He told Cheirus to attack Radox with another Beak of Fury. But Radox smirked and used his natural ability to Counter each peck, dealing a small amount of damage to Cheirus each time its beak struck his shell.

"All right, Radox, assault them with Stampede!" In moments, a swarm of hundreds of Radox had affixed themselves to Rupert's Vivosaurs, all biting and clawing at once. Disappointingly, the three enemy Vivosaurs were only moderately damaged.

To make up for this, Dina told Teffla to use Teffla Scale on Zino. The big theropod growled weakly as some of its LP was sucked away by the following wave of yellow dust.

"Cheirus, use your Whirling Doom on Radox!" called Rupert, and Dina's eyes widened as Cheirus started spinning wildly across the battlefield, turning into a literal tornado of slicing claws. Radox screamed as the razor-sharp points scratched at his exoskeleton all over, but thanks to his natural ability, several of the strikes were deflected back at Cheirus. Dina's glanced at her Fighter's Watch, seeing both Vivosaurs' LP counts whittle themselves down as both of them were continually damaged.

Dina considered her options, then decided to concentrate on Cheirus for now, as it was the most damaged. She commanded Teffla and Hopter to use Teffla Scale and Rock Wing on the frail Air-type. They struck in waves, alternating between toxic powder and blistering dirt. Now Cheirus was badly weakened.

But then Rupert chose to act, telling Mapo King to attack for the first time with its Royal Strike move. Its clawed fist became engulfed in swirling water as it dealt a devastating uppercut to Hopter, with the water exploding everywhere upon impact. The damage was severe enough to have Hopter enter his Berserker condition – but this time, his eyes blinked red for only a second before returning to normal.

_He's starting to fully resist his Berserker ability!_ Dina realized, then confidently called out, "Hopter, sweep Cheirus away with Rock Breath!"

As the funnel of destructive sand blasted toward Cheirus, Rupert commanded it to use another Whirling Doom attack. It spun frantically, sucking the incoming earth beam into the resultant tornado. But soon, it had slowed down, the sand scratching at it from all over and damaging it as it spun. Cheirus ceased whirling and collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

Radox sent Cheirus back into its Dino Medal with a single headbutt, crashing his head into Cheirus' at full speed. Dina smirked at Trip Cera's over-excited comment, then directed her smirk towards Rupert. At first, he stared across the battlefield at her in shock, then gave her a smile that said, _You win this round… but you won't win the battle._ Under her breath, Dina murmured, "Bring it on."

Those might not have been the best words to utter, because Rupert then ordered Mapo King to use Royal Buster on Radox. Dina allowed a squeak of fear and worry to escape her mouth as the gigantic beast slowly stomped toward its comparatively tiny opponent, quivering with terror.

Mapo King crunched down on Radox with its mighty jaws, then jumped up and squashed him underfoot with a single step. Dina feared it was all over – when Mapo King howled in pain and retreated away from Radox, whimpering pathetically. Its own sheer power had been its undoing against Radox and his Counter ability.

Rupert looked beyond shocked. Clearly, he hadn't been expecting Radox's Counter status to withhold this late into the battle. Dina couldn't help wondering the same thing, when Radox told her, _You and Hopter have inspired me. If Hopter can control his ability for your sake, than so can I._

Dina allowed an appreciative smile to crease her face, before she yelled out, "Now, Teffla, attack Zino! Use your Teffla Soar!" The Super Evolver streaked up into the sky gracefully on his papery wings before diving down to strike Zino. The Vivosaur roared as Teffla mercilessly whipped it with his tail.

"Quickly, Zino!" yelled Rupert. "Slice Teffla with your Slicer!" A malicious glint sprang into Zino's eyes, and a fearful one into Teffla's as he realized that Zino was too close to possibly miss.

All three blows connected solidly with Teffla's body. A single swipe with the right claw, a scissoring blow with both, and then a whirlwind of slashes viciously beat down Teffla's LP. Already, he only had half left.

Painfully, Teffla was thrown back to Dina's side of the battlefield on the last slash. He struggled to get up, growing stronger quickly as the pain began to fade. _I'm up to it,_ Teffla panted. _Let me at them._

Dina said flippantly, "With pleasure," and then raised her voice as she commanded, "Teffla and Radox! Use Teffla Scale and Radox Blade on Zino!" Both Vivosaurs went into immediate action. Teffla lightly brushed Zino with powder, draining a significant amount of LP, and Radox slashed at Zino's flank without thinking twice. The theropod was weak, but not out of the fight yet.

Mapo King moved forward on Rupert's next order, striking Teffla with a powerful Royal Buster. The force of each blow ruthlessly pounded Teffla, leaving him very weak indeed. Thanks to his Air element resisting Mapo King's Water, he still had a good amount of fight left in him.

"Hopter!" called Dina. "Finish Zino with Rock Wing!" With a single chirp and nod, Hopter rose into the air clumsily and beat his wings forcefully. The storm of earth and dust struck Zino like a tidal wave, blowing him into the far wall and stunning it into unconsciousness. A Dino Medal dropped to the ground not too long after that.

Rupert was down to only Mapo King. Dina still had Radox, Teffla, and Hopter, but all were a little worse for wear. _We can do this!_ she thought fiercely. _We can still win!_

But Hopter fell to a savage Royal Strike, and Dina began to have her doubts.

_No!_ came the hard, unforgiving voice. Dina was surprised to discover that it was coming from Nychus' Dino Medal. _We defeated Don Boneyard! Teffla came through to the end! Don't give up hope just because Hopter's gone! Believe in yourself, Dina!_

Dina knew that although Nychus sounded stern and harsh, she was trying to encourage her. _Nychus is right,_ she thought. _Teffla and Radox can still do this._

"Teffla, use Teffla Soar with all of your strength!" she called, and Teffla slammed himself into Mapo King in answer. A chunk had been taken from the King's LP, but it was far from enough. _Man, Mapo King's even tougher than Ryden!_ Dina thought bitterly, but cut off the thought.

"Radox, every bit counts, so use Radox Blade!" But there was no denying that Mapo King hardly even flinched from the subsequent slash.

"Mapo King, attack Teffla with your Royal Splash!" Dina gulped as both of Mapo King's fists became surrounded by spheres of water. Teffla was splashed once, then twice – and then was washed away by a torrent of pure water, shot from Mapo King's mouth.

Impossibly, Teffla shrugged it off like a spring rain and activated his Parting Blow ability. _He's almost down,_ Dina realized as she witness the orange glow spring to life around him. _We have to take as much of Mapo King's LP as we can down with him._

Dina checked her Fighter's Watch – she had just enough FP to unleash Teffla's strongest attack. "Teffla, risk it all with the most powerful Teffla Dive ever!" she screamed. Teffla ran at Mapo King with all of his determination, his orange glow becoming enfused with the tornadic wind that had appeared around him.

Mapo King staggered and roared as the hurricane of wind and fury hit him dead-on. The arena was filled with howling wind, and the crowd had to hold tightly to their seats to prevent being blown away. When the storm abated, Mapo King still stood alongside Teffla, but both were panting, weak as they were.

"Mapo King, finish Teffla with Royal Strike!" said Rupert, and his Super Evolver started forward to obey. Dina's eyes widened with horror and her heart pounded as she saw Teffla struck solidly with a watery fist.

Teffla landed on the ground hard, skidding to a halt right next to Dina. He opened his eyes and met hers. He smiled sadly and said, _I'm OK. Use Radox and believe in him until the end. I can't fight anymore, so let him win for me._

Tears sprang to Dina's eyes as he flashed with white light and dissolved back into his Dino Medal. It was his first loss since evolving from Aeros into Teffla.

"Radox, let's do this! Avenge Hopter and Teffla by hitting Mapo King as hard as you can with Radox Headbutt!" The trilobite screeched and shot at Mapo King like a blue bullet, connecting with his enemy's stomach with a dull thudding sound. The Super Evolver wheezed as it was thrown to the ground by the force of the headbutt.

"Mapo King, defeat Radox once and for all with Royal Strike!" ordered Rupert, voice swelling with confidence and desperation. "No you don't!" countered Dina. "Radox, get back up and attack with Radox Blade!"

Mapo King stood shakily on its feet, liquid enveloping its claw. Radox got to his feet strongly and prepared for his attack, horn glowing with mystic energy. The two Vivosaurs advanced on one another – Radox scuttled rapidly forward, horn at the ready, and Mapo King stomped slowly towards him, fist raised ominously. Dina covered her eyes with her hands, knowing that if Radox got hit, it would be the end for that frail Vivosaur.

There was an immense flash of light and a huge explosion as horn met fist, shaking the stadium and sending smoke everywhere. Dina opened her eyes just as the smoke cleared, revealing Mapo King and Radox standing on opposite sides of the battlefield, motionless.

Dina gaped at the sight that greeted her next – Radox slumped to the ground.

But Mapo King fell to its knees and collapsed completely.

A flash of light occurred, blinding the entire crowd. Which Vivosaur had retreated into its Dino Medal?

Mapo King.

Dina had won the final.

The cheer started out small, barely audible over the thick silence that had descended. But then, a deafening explosion of noise occurred as the crowd simultaneously erupted into spontaneous applause. Dina looked around, disbelieving the sight before her eyes. There was Joe and the staff on their feet, cheering their lungs out. There was Todd, Pauleen, and all the other friends that she had made doing a little celebratory dance in the stands.

And there was Rupert, standing silently on the other side of the stadium, a sad smile on his face. Within the sadness, there was a hint of joy.

Without thinking, Dina rushed toward Rupert, flinging her arms around him. He couldn't even get a word out as she pushed her face into his, passionately kissing him. After a moment, he gave in and sighed contentedly, wrapping his arms around her and holding on tightly.

Radox, beaten and battered, looked on fondly from the sidelines. He stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt the couple's romantic moment. Individual flashes of light occurred just then, and the rest of Dina's Vivosaurs appeared beside him. They all watched with happy tears in their eyes as their mistress shared a much-deserved kiss with the one she loved.

It was as if the crowd didn't exist to Dina. In her mind, the only one who existed was Rupert. She deepened the kiss, not wanting to let go of him. And she knew from his reaction that he felt exactly the same way.

It was the happiest moment of her entire fourteen-year existence.

-.-.-.-.-.

**And there you have it. Dina has won the Caliosteo Cup!**

**Do any of you non-FFC players think the story's over? If so, then you're wrong! I have a few more things to cover before the fanfic finally comes to a close.**

**Review and wait patiently for the next chapter!**

**TRIVIA: Zino and Cheirus were two of my favorite Vivosaurs back in the days of the original Fossil Fighters game. Together with Guan, they were nearly unbeatable. I decided to give them some much-deserved attention by putting them alongside Mapo King as part of Rupert's team.**


	17. The Inconvenient Truth

**Despite the title, this chapter has nothing to do with global warming.**

**But it's just as catastrophic.**

**Sorry this is so late, I'm not going to be writing as much because of school and because I got my new 3DS XL last week XD**

**Casey: I could have sworn Teffla had the Parting Blow ability… Guess I'll have to play the game again.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Dina and Rupert stood in the Common Room together. Radox was there as well. There was a camera rolling on the sidelines, which Dina was nervous about, but Rupert didn't seem to notice. _He probably gets that treatment a lot,_ Radox mused aloud.

"You won, Dina," Rupert stated clearly and formally. "It's strange. I've always dreaded the thought of losing, but it actually doesn't feel that bad. I feel serene. Calm. Like I've somehow been cleansed."

Then his face grew alight with excitement. "Oh, and the battle was so much fun!" he said, eyes shining. Dina grinned and blushed faintly, bending down to scoop Radox up in her arms.

"I'm glad it was you on the final stage," Rupert continued, serious once more. "I really am. It was a privilege and an honor to meet a Fighter such as yourself. Thank you for everything you've done for me, Dina. And long may our friendship endure." He held out a hand.

Dina reached out with her own hand and shook his firmly, then suddenly yanked on his arm, pulling him into a hug. Radox squeaked and jumped to the floor to avoid being crushed, running around in rapid, exited circles around the pair.

Just as they broke apart from the other's embrace, the stadium doors opened, and Joe walked in. There was an uncontrollable grin on his face.

"Well don't that just beat all?" he exclaimed. "Who woulda thunk that this Cup would end with a new hero ridin' in ta save the day? And to think them BB Brigade fellers almost blew the whole thing again!"

He turned to Dina, and Rupert instinctively backed away. "But Dina here took a stand against them varmints and ended up savin' the Cup and the park! Yer passion for battlin' and strong heart have allowed ya to claim the crown. Ain't no two ways about it, Dina! You've grown into a great Fighter and a Champion. And so, like I promised, I'm gonna make you the owner of this here Caliosteo Fossil Park!"

Dina's blush grew more prominent at this excessive praise. Joe then turned to directly face the camera.

"To all them Fighters who gave their best in the competition…

"To all them fans who whooped and hollered till their throats were sore…

"To the loyal cowhands who worked day and night to keep everything runnin' smooth…

"With a hearty thanks to y'all, I declare the Caliosteo Cup to be over!"

Dina felt tears spring to her eyes, and she noticed that Rupert also looked a little sad. But beyond that, she was happy. She was positively jubilant. She was the Champion of the Caliosteo Cup!

Joe turned once more to her and saluted. "Congratulations, Dina. Ya truly are the chosen one," he said to her. Something about those words nagged at Dina's mind. _Chosen one? Why would he say that?_

For some reason, Cotton's words came back to her: "_Our first loss… appropriate, considering that we were up against the ruler of the Caliosteo Cup himself._" Again, Dina wondered why Cotton would refer to Joe as the "ruler" of the Caliosteo Cup.

She shook such thoughts away. She was worrying over absolutely nothing.

A short interview by the camera crew occurred after that. Dina started out a little sheepish and nervous, but Rupert encouraged her from the sidelines.

Soon, the camera crew had departed. Rupert gave Dina a quick hug before leaving as well. Joe started to leave, but then stopped and turned back to face Dina. "Say, pardner," he said casually, "there's somethin' I'd like to talk to ya about. You mind ridin' by the suite in a bit? I'll be waitin'." With a nod, Joe walked off and out of the Common Room.

But before Dina could follow, the doors opened again, and Todd and Pauleen came rushing in, faces red and eyes alight with excitement. "You did it, Dina!" enthused Todd, more excited than she had ever seen him. "You're the Champion! It's wicked! It's awesome! It's wicked awesome!"

Pauleen was practically in her face the moment Todd had paused for breath. "Great job, digadig!" she squealed. "My palms are sweaty and my throat is sore from clapping and cheering so hard!" She backed away and continued, more calmly, "But why are you still standing here? There's a whole bunch of people waiting for you outside! Talking to your fans is part of a champion's job, diga."

Dina suddenly thanked heaven that Joe now wanted to see her. _I'm not ready for fame!_ she mentally complained. _I have to remember to ask Rupert for advice in these situations…_

Before Pauleen could say anything more, Dina hurriedly explained that Joe had requested her to visit his suite.

At this, Todd grew even more excited. "Hey! Maybe he's finally remembered how we met two years ago!" he said. Dina smiled to herself – maybe that was it. But personally, it didn't matter to her that Joe remembered who she was or not. She would still always admire him, and she knew that he'd always count on her to lead the Patrol Team.

_Would he?_

Don Boneyard's words echoed once more in her mind; "_Do not trust anything the current Joe Wildwest says! He is the reason Cotton fled the islands! Because he truly is…_" …what?

Dina shook off these worrisome thoughts and surfaced just as Todd was saying, "So me and Dina are just gonna swing by Joe's suite. OK, Pauleen?" Pauleen sighed at this and said that she'd go tell the fans to hold on.

"Great! Let's go!" Todd told Dina as Pauleen left the Common Room. Dina ran along behind Todd, half-excited and half-confused.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Wildwest Tower**

The elevator gave that familiar *ding* as Dina and Todd entered Wildwest Tower. Joe was at the window, waiting for them. "I'm glad you came, Dina," he greeted her, and paused when he saw Todd. "Oh. You brought Todd. Well, this doesn't concern him, but… fine. He's here. How very good for us all."

Todd looked thunderstruck. Dina, however, couldn't help but wonder, _What's wrong with him? He sounds almost disappointed. And why isn't he using his usual accent?_

But Joe was speaking again, and so she forced herself to listen. "Let me give you a little history lesson, Dina," said Joe casually. "I want to talk about a king, a man who once ruled over the Caliosteo Islands. I want to talk to you about Zongazonga."

This wasn't what Dina had been expecting at all. Todd raised an eyebrow and said skeptically, "Zongazonga? Wasn't he the guy that implanted his skull into other peoples' bodies? And then didn't they lock him in the Stone Pyramid?"

Dina's eyes widened and her eyebrows shot almost to her hairline. "You were actually listening when Professor Scatterly told us that?" Todd shuffled his feet and muttered, "Yeah. I remembered a bit, and I went over to the museum before the final to ask Professor Scatterly to tell me some more."

Now Dina was even more surprised. Joe looked the same way. "Well, look at the big brain on Todd," he commented. "That's exactly right. But… that's not where the story ends. There's a second act that no one knows about, that takes place uncountable years after Zongazonga was locked away."

Dina began to get that sinking feeling.

"A single man, acting on pure chance, discovered the Stone Pyramid and the chest, with no idea what was inside," continued Joe in a faraway voice. "And the moment he cracked the lid open, the man's body had been stolen by Zongazonga."

Joe's voice seemed to grow ominous. Dina could feel her Dino Medals trembling. _What does this have to do with us? _Dina wondered. _How do you know any of this? …Dear god, it can't be… you can't be…_

But Joe continued on, heedless of Dina's increasingly worried thoughts. "Do you wish to know the name of that poor, wretched man? Shall I tell you? His name was… Joe Wildwest."

Things were rushing into focus sharply, all too sharply for Dina. "You… you're…" she murmured, backing away slowly from the man she thought she knew.

His next words confirmed her innermost fears – "I am not your foolish cowboy friend. I am King Zongazonga!"

The world that Dina knew and lived in shattered just then, revealing the world of reality. And her first glimpse of reality made her want to run as far away as possible and go hide in a corner.

"Um… d-dude? Did he just say that he's Z-Zongazonga?" asked Todd in a voice that hinted that he wanted more than anything for Dina to deny it. But she couldn't. Indeed, words wouldn't come to her.

Joe – Zongazonga – advanced a few paces. "But this body is old and smelly, and I'm forced to fake that ridiculous accent!" he complained bitterly. "I need a body that's strong and full of life if I want to gain the full measure of my powers. And that is why I held the Caliosteo Cup. You should rejoice, Dina! You are the new Majestic Vessel for the great Zongazonga!"

Now his expression was a mix of greed and smugness. "And when your body withers with age, I shall choose another. And another after that! I am eternal! I am immortal! AND I SHALL NEVER DIE!" Zongazonga's voice became feverish with triumph.

Dina thought then that she couldn't get any more shocked, but indeed, another shock was coming. "Unless I kill you first!" shrieked a voice from above, and down plunged Cotton, former Cup champion and, indeed, Majestic Vessel.

Zongazonga didn't look particularly impressed. "Well, look who's suddenly grown a spine," he sneered. "Dear Cotton, where have you been? I've been forced to go into all this trouble to find a new Vessel, and just when I'm about to claim it, you choose _now_ to challenge me?"

Cotton's face betrayed only a hint of fear. "I hate you so much, Zongazonga," he seethed. "Look what _I've_ been forced to do to prevent you from doing this again. And I don't care if I have to rip Joe Wildwest's body apart myself to stop you from stealing Dina's."

As Zongazonga chuckled, Cotton went on, "But I can do that later. Right now, I have to get these two out of here." The chuckles subsided immediately, and Zongazonga advanced threateningly on the boy and the ones he was protecting, a snarl distorting his face.

But suddenly, Dina's attention was drawn elsewhere. Cracks appeared in the far wall, and it suddenly exploded inward, bricks and shards of glass flying everywhere. Everyone ducked and shielded their heads from the debris.

Dina was first to look up. And when she did, there was a huge, flying skeleton circling just outside – Don Boneyard's B-Ptera.

"Hop on, you two!" called Cotton, suddenly flying out of the massive hole and landing on B-Ptera's back. He stuck out his hand and called out again to Dina and Todd. Before she could do anything, though, the world shifted and swirled before Dina's very eyes.

She and Todd were back on the cliff where they had been trapped two years ago. When Dina looked back, it wasn't Zongazonga cornering them, it was the V-Raptor. She turned back to the cliff side and saw not Cotton and B-Ptera, but Joe Wildwest and his Ptera. Joe held out his hand invitingly, trying to save them.

In a trance, Dina grabbed Todd's hand and dragged him toward the flying Boneysaur. Todd was equally frightened and amazed at the spell his friend was under. But Dina didn't notice any of this as she jumped into open space, stretching her arm out for Cotton to grab.

They successfully linked hands, and Cotton pulled the two of them up onto B-Ptera's back. With a triumphant screech, the Boneysaur soared away from Wildwest Tower, leaving Zongazonga screaming curses after them.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Bonechip Island**

"Are y'all awake?" asked the voice. Dina opened her eyes – she must have fallen asleep somehow on the way here. _Wherever "here" is…_ she thought at first, before she got a good look around. Dina was surprised to see that she was lying on a bed, and even more so to see where, exactly, the bed was – she, and most likely Todd as well, were in the BB Brigade Base!

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense for Dina. Cotton obviously brought them here because it was currently abandoned, and far away from the Caliosteo Islands. _This must have been where he had fled to when he won the Cup and discovered Joe's – Zongazonga's – secret,_ Dina realized.

She sat up on the bed to see Todd sitting at a desk next to her. Cotton was perched on her bedpost, slouching slightly with his wings wrapped around him, like some giant vulture. But on the floor – something was moving.

Dina screamed in shock as she saw that it was a skull, bouncing around on the ground excitedly, wearing a crown on its head. It was Don Boneyard!

Todd didn't seem too happy to see it either. "Waaah!" he screamed. "That skull's talking and bouncing! Are you Don Boneyard? Or are you the skull of Zongazonga? …OK, who are you really?"

The skull turned away, as if unsure of what to say. Unconsciously, Dina remembered the words it had spoken when she had awoken. She recognized the accent as belonging to Joe Wildwest, but…

It clicked suddenly in Dina's brain. This was the reason Don Boneyard claimed to have known her and Teffla after they had battled. The reason was – that Don Boneyard had been the real Joe all along.

Taking a deep breath, Dina revealed her suspicions to Todd. He didn't take it seriously, to say the least. "Are you crazy, Dina?" he demanded. "You think this skull is actually Joe Wildwest?!" Dina nodded curtly.

Helpfully, Don Boneyard chose that moment to speak up. "I'm afraid Dina's right there, small fry. I really am Joe Wildwest. I reckon I know how crazy that sounds, but I need ya to believe me. Especially you, Todd."

Now Todd looked more confused than frightened. "H-How do you know my name?" he stammered. The skull spoke up once more, and it seemed to Dina that hope was rising within her with every word out of its mandible. "'Cause ya told it to me, remember? Two years ago, when we battled that angry Velociraptor together?"

Those words were the final, impossible confirmation that, in a world that had been turned upside down and she didn't know whom to trust anymore, hope still existed. This was Joe Wildwest, and he was there for them. Tears instantly sprang into Dina's eyes.

"Only the real Joe could know about that," Todd said, awe in his voice. Then he burst into a cheer. "It's Joe! He's here! It's really him!" Dina wiped away her tears and smiled uncontrollably.

"I used to dream 'bout a place where Fighters could dig fossil rocks and battle to their heart's content," Joe said, launching immediately into his story. "That's why I built the Caliosteo Fossil Park. But just before the doors opened, I stumbled upon the Stone Pyramid and decided to take a peek inside. That's when I found me a big stone chest and… well, I reckon y'all know the rest." Joe's skull sighed regretfully.

"The skull of that Zongazonga feller flew up and took over my body," he continued, "leavin' me to roll around like a tumbleweed on the plains. But my body's got a few miles in it, so Zongazonga started lookin' for a new one. He organized the Caliosteo Cup and summoned Fighters from around the world.

"I knew I had to stop it, so I disguised myself as Don Boneyard and formed the BareBones Brigade. But flyin' skulls warn't the only thing I found at the Stone Pyramid. I also tracked down some Boneysaurs. I took as many as I could find, gave 'em to the BareBones Brigade, and then did everythin' we could to disrupt the Cup. Both of 'em."

Cotton shifted on his perch and spoke up for the first time. "That's where I came in. The BB Brigade didn't cause much trouble the first time, because the staff and Staff Leaders managed to stop their sabotage. But when I won the Cup and discovered Zongazonga's true identity, I fled with the help of Nycto Ace. I joined the BB Brigade and swore that I'd defend the Caliosteo Islands and stop the second Cup, even if I had to kill to do it."

He looked very apologetic as he looked guiltily at Dina and Todd. "I'm sorry I tried to take both of your lives. I thought that if someone died, the Caliosteo Cup would be canceled for the safety of the Fighters." Dina waved away his apology, coming back around to her normal cheerful self.

Don Joe, as Dina now thought of him, continued to speak again. "'Course, you fellers didn't make it easy for us to cancel the Cup. Ev'ry time we came close, you'd beat us back." Dina opened her mouth for an apology of her own, but Don Joe interrupted her. "Aw, heck. Don't go apologizin' to me. Y'all were just doin' what ya thought was right."

When he spoke next, it was in a tone of admiration. "But I gotta admit, the two of ya have surprised me at every turn. I never reckoned to get beat by the small fry I rescued two years ago!"

Dina blushed and said nothing.

"I wish we had the time to sit around and chat," Cotton cut in, "but we don't. Zongazonga went into a lot of trouble to get Dina's body after mine, and he's definitely not willing to go through this again. He's going to chase you until he does, so we've got to leave these islands right now."

Todd shuffled his feet and said fearfully, "He's right, Dina! We have to run while we can!"

But Dina had made up her mind the instant Don Joe had finished his story. "I'm not leaving," she said, loudly and confidently.

Cotton's, Todd's, and even Joe's jaw dropped. Dina pretended not to notice, continuing flippantly, "I want to get Don Joe's body back for him. And I want to make sure Zongazonga gets sealed back in his chest for another eon or two."

Don Joe bounced up to Dina's foot, forcing her to look down at him. "Aw, shucks, Dina," he said. "I appreciate ya sayin' that, I really do. But I'd feel terrible if somethin' happened to ya. Don't be a hero."

Todd clutched Dina's arm, making her turn to look at him. "I don't want to act like a chicken or anything," Todd began cautiously, "but… HE'S A FLYING SKULL THAT CAN STEAL YOUR BODY! Let's just leave, OK? Let's leave together."

From his perch, Cotton lightly tapped Dina's arm, asking for her attention. "If I can say something," he offered, and she nodded for him to go on. "I remember you said something to me when you helped me and my friends escape from the Bonehemoth – you said that heroes don't listen to others, but they do what's right."

Dina grinned at him. "Someone's getting the picture," she said teasingly. "Yes, I am going to do what's right and stop Zongazonga."

But Todd grew angry. "Damnit!" he swore. "I'm worried about you! Don't you understand?!" Dina just looked at him wide-eyed. "…Fine! Get your body stolen… see if I care." Todd ran out of the bedchamber in a flash of green.

"Are ya sure about this, pardner?" asked Don Joe hesitantly. "You're riskin' a whole lot to help little ol' me. I'll owe ya more than you'll ever know." He paused, then went on, "But I gotta tell ya, I don't have the faintest clue about how to beat this Zongazonga feller. I know them ancient folks managed to seal him up, but only someone who knew the history of the islands would know how…"

A name instantly sprang to Dina's mind. As it turned out, the same happened to Cotton. They both blurted out, "Professor Scatterly!"

A hopeful expression crossed Don Joe's face. "How's that now? Are ya suggestin' that Professor Scatterly knows about the history of the islands?" Cotton nodded and replied, "He didn't know that much when I first met him, but I'm betting he knows more now." Dina agreed, piling on, "A lot more indeed."

Don Joe bounced up and down excitedly. "Well, heck! Maybe he knows how to defeat Zongazonga then! Let's go see him right away!" His skull bounced up and leapt into the hood of Dina's shirt. It felt lumpy.

"Let's head to the Caliosteo Museum!" said Cotton, and led the way out of the door.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Cranial City**

Dina and Cotton entered the doors to the Caliosteo Museum. They had to do a lot of sneaking around, as Cotton had long before distinguished himself as an enemy to the islands and the Cup. Now, they breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Oh ho!" exclaimed Professor Scatterly upon sighting Dina. "Welcome back, old bean! I hear you managed to win the Caliosteo Cup! Capital job, that. Truly a nice spot of work."

Cotton stepped out from behind Dina and said dryly, "I wouldn't say that exactly. And hello again, old friend."

Professor Scatterly, although initially shocked at seeing the old Champion and member of the BB Brigade making a non-threatening appearance on Cranial Isle, rapidly warmed up. "And welcome back to you, Cotton!" he boomed heartily. "What brings the two of you here to my museum?"

Dina took over. "Nothing good, I'm afraid," she said grimly, and told him the entire story, with Cotton adding bits and pieces.

The old scientist remained silent for a while after that, a flabbergasted expression on his face. Then he burst into guffaws. "Oh ho ho ho! Oh, but you are a wit, aren't you? You nearly had this old man here for a second!"

Cotton looked extremely annoyed, and just before he could open his mouth to snap at the professor, Don Joe spoke up from within Dina's hood. "Ain't no joke, Professor Scatterly. Take a look at what happened to me." Then, out jumped the skull, landing with a dull thud on the floor.

Professor Scatterly appeared to have been rendered speechless. A full minute went by before he cleared his throat to speak again. "With this proof in front of me, old beans, I've got little choice but to believe your tale. Although, if Zongazonga really has come back, I'm afraid it leaves us in a bit of a fix. Yes, quite."

Dina was about to complain about the professor's notorious habit of understating things when suddenly, the sound of shouting could be heard from outside. "I say!" exclaimed Professor Scatterly. "There seems to be a commotion outside, eh wot?"

Cotton looked as happy as the Grim Reaper on a bad day. "Something must have happened. We'd best have ourselves a look."

The four rushed outside just in time to see the Mammoth Vision video screen flying over the horizon toward a crowd of Fighters. _Because Don Boneyard – I mean, Joe – is with us, then that means…_ Dina realized who was in charge of the other unit. _Oh no, this isn't good._

The TV screen flickered on, and sure enough, there stood Zongazonga. "Hello everyone," he said halfheartedly. "It's me. Joe Wildwest."

Dina was surprised that anyone was buying this. But then she figured out that because she knew the truth, only her and others with her could hear this. Everyone else, though, was hearing what Zongazonga wanted them to – the convincing Western accent of the superstar Fighter they all admired.

"I'm afraid I have some sad news about our Champion, Dina," Zongazonga was saying. "I've learned that our Champion is actually a member of the hated BareBones Brigade. Once again, the Cup has been ruined by the defection of a good person to our enemy's cause. Dina has been with them since the beginning, rigging matches to be assured of victory. It was all part of a master plan by Don Boneyard and Cotton to take over the islands, in case their other attempts failed."

Zongazonga then seemed to grow furious, as if angered by the very words he was speaking. "Hear me well! I want Dina and Cotton brought to me so they can suffer the consequences!"

-.-.-.-.-.

**I just realized upon playing FFC again today that ZZ's lie actually makes sense – that if Dina really was part of the BB Brigade, then she'd (supposedly) become the owner of the Fossil Park, thus allowing the rest of the brigade to take over.**

**But, surprise! I bet you Fossil Fighters newbies didn't see THAT coming!**

**It's a classic Fossil Fighters plot twist; the main character gets rid of what seems to be the main problem, only to find that there is in fact something far worse out there…**

**Review please, and wait to see how Dina and Cotton stop ZZ once and for all!**

**TRIVIA: I originally planned to have Cotton appear again at the very end, when Dina defeated ZZ. But I've decided that he has a right to get tied up with the Patrol Team, and eventually get his revenge.**


	18. Search for the Ultimate Weapon

**Ooh, sounds exciting! What could it be?**

**Read on and find out!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Dina, Cotton, and Professor Scatterly were simply appalled by Zongazonga's speech. The sorcerer had just managed to trick every Fighter on Cranial Isle that she was with Cotton and the BB Brigade. And no doubt word would spread to the other two islands. There was nowhere in the Caliosteo Islands where Dina would be safe – except maybe Bonechip Island.

The crowd of Fighters dispersed as the Mammoth Vision video screen flew off to who knows where, some furious, some worried, and some simply disappointed. But they all had one goal in mind, to bring Dina to the being that they thought was Joe Wildwest.

As the crowd spread out over the city, the trio of newly-made outcasts hid in a dark alley between the Caliosteo Museum and another building. In mere moments, the streets were empty, and it was safe to sneak around.

Dina inwardly flinched at each footstep as they ran, with the flurry of footfalls sounding extremely loud to her. Cotton seemed to realize her concern, or maybe he was concerned himself with the amount of noise they were making. Nonetheless, he beat his wings and flew just above the ground in an effort to make things a little quieter.

Ahead of them loomed the Fighter Station and Wildwest Tower on top of it. Dina and the others were about to rush past it, when all of a sudden the doors slid open with a hiss. Dina squeaked and hastily ducked into a shadowy corner as Terry and a small army of staff members marched out. Cotton, still out in the open, hid in a particularly leafy tree with a few beats of his wings.

Professor Scatterly, however, had to stop and catch his breath. Caught out in the open, he was in plain sight of the staff. Terry glanced over in his direction, and Dina sighed in relief as the professor's jolly wave was met with a grin and jaunty salute.

"That was a close one!" Cotton whispered from his tree, then jumped down to join the two of them. Dina stared at him in wonder. _To think I'd ever have this being as an ally!_ she thought, remembering all the times he had been her enemy. But as it turned out, he hadn't really been a bad guy after all.

Dina cautiously walked back out into the sun-lit street. No one was around. The professor and Cotton joined her. Professor Scatterly was flustered and Cotton looked calm, but Dina could see that he was fuming inwardly.

Don Joe hopped out of her hood and bounced back onto the ground. The skull's jaw clattered as he raged, "Darn that Zongazonga! He's trickin' other Fighters into doin' his dirty work!"

Suddenly, she heard the Fighter Station doors hiss open again. Reflexively turning around with panic rising in her, Dina saw that it was Pauleen and Rupert. Their faces were grim and didn't bode well for her.

_Did Zongazonga trick them as well?_ Dina thought with a terrible thrill of fear.

Professor Scatterly nervously got between them and Dina. "Stay yourselves, my friends!" he told them in a quavering voice. "That announcement was a lie!"

Pauleen stepped forward. "It's all right, digadig," she said soothingly. "We're on Dina's side." Dina visibly relaxed, and the professor wiped his brow with a handkerchief. "We battled you in the Cup, and we know you won by fair means," assured Rupert.

Cotton impatiently flexed his wings and shuffled his talons. "We need to get out of here," he said urgently. "If a staff member walks by" – his words were cut off by a shriek from Pauleen.

"I-i-it's Cotton!" she squeaked, taking a step so that she was slightly behind Rupert. "What is he doing here with you, Dina?" Rupert inquired seriously, not looking frightened in the least.

Suddenly, Don Joe hopped into the middle of all of them and bounced up and down to get their attention. "Aw, we can't be wastin' time like this!" he shouted. "We gotta gallop back to the BB Brigade Base, and fast!"

An even louder shriek issued from Pauleen's mouth, and Rupert stifled a startled gasp. "Diga! It's D-Don Boneyard! What's he diga-doing here?!" demanded Pauleen, confused.

"We'll fill you in on the details later," Cotton snapped. "Right now, we have to hurry. If they track us down, the world's in deep trouble!" Rupert considered, then reluctantly nodded. "I can't say I understand, but if Dina trusts these two, then I do as well. Come, Pauleen. We should go."

Don Joe hopped back into Dina's hood as Pauleen nodded and said, "O-OK, digadig!" But then, out of nowhere, came the voice of someone that Dina hoped she'd never see in this predicament. "You've disappointed me. I trusted you, you know?"

Dina whirled to see Stella, Terry, Kent, and a company of Fighters advancing on the five of them. "Who knew the champ was actually a member of the BB Brigade?" asked Terry rhetorically. "It's sad, really."

Stella scowled at Cotton. "Wouldn't have been the first time," she muttered, looking daggers at him. "Nice to see you again too, Stella," Cotton replied sarcastically.

"Come on, little dudes," Kent said, almost sadly. "Just come with us and nobody has to get gnarly." Rupert paled considerably, whispering, "Are they going to try and take us as well?" Pauleen shook her head and answered, "I diga-don't think so…" But she didn't sound like she believed her own words.

The three Staff Leaders closed in. The party of Fighters behind them spread out to widen the humanoid wall before Dina and her friends. "This is bad, wot wot?" said Professor Scatterly worriedly. "We're surrounded! Yes, quite." Cotton smirked evilly and reached for his Dino Medals. "That doesn't mean we go down without a fight," he said, eyes spearing the trio in front of them with their glare.

All of a sudden, from another part of the street, there was a loud yell. Dina, Cotton, and everyone else simultaneously turned to see what the commotion was. Dina's heart leapt when she saw a little green blur streaking towards the impending battle.

It was Todd!

He stopped running and assumed a battle-ready pose between Dina and the hundred-plus Fighters. "Todd, what are you doing?" called Pauleen. Todd didn't reply right away, instead shouting out, "Run, you guys! Run now! I'll take care of these guys!"

Dina cried out, even louder than Pauleen, "Todd, are you insane! Those Fighters outnumber you a hundred to one!"

Todd ignored that. "Remember when I said I wanted to run because I was worried about you, Dina? Well, it's not quite true. I actually wanted to run because I was afraid. I've ran from a lot of things. I'd just hang back and let you do all the hard work. You were always so brave, taking on everything no matter how scared it made you feel. And then Pauleen took off her mask and Rupert stood up to his father, and I felt ashamed of myself. I was a coward."

He turned to face Dina, and she could immediately see that he had changed. Gone was the timid, frightened boy that she had known all her life. He had been replaced by someone she didn't know, someone who was serious, determined, and… brave.

"But I'm done running," he said to her. "No more fake stomachaches for me. You're my best friend, Dina, and I'm gonna save you!"

On those last two words, he turned back to the mob and threw out a Dino Medal. A Super Evolver – Barbaros, the evolved form of Stego – appeared with a titanic roar that caused even the Staff Leaders' faces to contort with fear.

"Go already!" Todd shouted without looking away from his soon-to-be-opponents. Cotton, Professor Scatterly, Pauleen, and Rupert backed off slowly, but Dina didn't move. "Todd…" she said, holding out a hand to restrain him. But she ended up being the restrained one, as Rupert stepped forth and comfortingly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Todd can do this," he said softly, so that only she would hear. "We must believe in him." Dina looked back at her best friend, with tears welling up in her eyes. Finally, she gave in. "Alright…" she breathed, her voice barely audible.

With that, they ran as fast as they could, toward the coastline of Cranial Isle on the edge of the city. Those few Fighters that weren't distracted by the battle unfolding in front of them gave chase, shouting for them to stop.

As soon as they reached the small strip of sand that gave way to ocean, everyone released their Vivosaurs. Pauleen and Rupert summoned Plesio and Elasmo, and they jumped on the aquatic Vivosaurs' backs to start swimming for Bonechip Island. Cotton sent out Nycto Ace, who took off immediately, grabbing Professor Scatterly in her talons as she did so.

Dina grabbed Rupert's hand and was pulled onto Elasmo's back. The shouts of the frustrated Fighters grew fainter in their ears. Soon, the outline of Cranial Isle had disappeared entirely, giving way to a flat blue horizon.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Bonechip Island**

"I must admit, this is something of an amazing story," Rupert said in wonder. "I believe you, and yet I find it hard to imagine that Joe's body is being controlled by an ancient sorcerer, or that Don Boneyard is really Joe Wildwest."

They were all back in Don Joe's quarters in the BB Brigade Base. So far, it seemed as though none of the BB Brigade members had made it back to Bonechip Island. Dina idly wondered where they all were, then focused her mind to concentrate on the task at hand.

"It's such a shame that the Cup was being held for such a nefarious purpose," Rupert said regretfully. "A skull that lives by stealing bodies?" Pauleen shivered and added, "Talk about freaky, digadig!"

Dina drifted back out of the conversation when she remembered Todd was still out there, fighting the good fight for their sake. Rupert must have noticed her strange silence, because he stepped up beside her and clutched her hand. "Are you worried about Todd?" he asked concernedly. Dina unconsciously nodded.

"This was his choice, and his path," Rupert assured her. "I'm sure he will be all right." He gently squeezed her hand until he got a sad smile out of her. He responded with one of his own.

"We'll beat Zongazonga, get Joe's body back, and save Todd, just you wait!" encouraged Pauleen cheerfully. Cotton, never one to pass up a smart remark, said from his perch atop Don Boneyard's podium, "Always playing the optimist, are you?" That got a glare out of Pauleen, which in turn got a laugh out of Cotton.

Dina knew that this little show of aggression was to help lift her spirits. She gave them all an encouraging smile to show that she appreciated the effort. But before she could say anything, Professor Scatterly suddenly gasped dramatically.

"Good heavens! I just thought of something!" he exclaimed, pacing back and forth excitedly. "According to the Calio Slablets, Zongazonga was defeated by the people of the CaliosteoIslands. After this, they sealed him in the Stone Pyramid, yes?"

Rupert, who initially seemed perplexed, allowed an expression of dawning comprehension to cross his face. "Then it stands to reason that the method of defeating Zongazonga may yet remain in that structure!" he said decisively, pounding his fist into his palm.

"Brilliant!" Dina enthused. Now there was hope again. Hope that this terror of terrors could be brought down to his knees and defeated at last.

Professor Scatterly turned to Don Joe. "You know where the Stone Pyramid is, I presume?" he asked. Don Joe hopped up and down with excitement. "Sure do!" he replied. "It's on this very island, deep in the jungle!" He continued after taking a moment to clear his… um, throat, "If ya check a bush at the deepest point, you'll open up a path to the Stone Pyramid."

Cotton stared at the skull in awe. "So that's why you built the base here," he said quietly. Dina nodded – it began to make sense to her now. Joe must have wanted the Stone Pyramid guarded so it would remain safe.

Professor Scatterly looked thrilled at the prospect of discovering yet more unknown relics. "Very well, I'm off! Tally ho!" He then plodded off and out of the chamber.

Pauleen and Rupert both stared after him indifferently, but Dina looked worried. "Um…" she spoke up. "Professor Scatterly tends to get lost and forget things…"

Don Joe looked mortified. "Aw, horseflies! We shoulda sent someone with him…" Without hesitation, Dina volunteered.

"Hold on, Dina," cautioned Rupert. "We can't send you after him." Dina looked at him as if asking, _Are you serious?_ Pauleen didn't catch the skeptical look and piled on, "It's too diga-dangerous! Let me go instead, digadig!"

Dina put her foot down. "No, you guys. This is my fight, and anyway, if there are traps or monsters or wild Vivosaurs in there, I'm the best equipped to deal with them." Both Pauleen and Rupert looked as if they wanted to argue, but remained silent.

"Stay here and be safe," Dina told them, before rushing out of the chamber after Professor Scatterly.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Bonechip Jungle**

Dina picked her way through the dense forest, going where her gut told her to. It was pure instinct that led her to the deepest part of the jungle.

_For an old guy,_ Dina thought exasperatedly, _the professor sure moves fast._ There had been no sign of him when she had gotten outside, except for a path of footprints leading down the beach and into the wall of trees beyond the BareBones stronghold.

Now, almost eight minutes later, Dina was beginning to wonder if she had taken the right paths. The bush that Don Joe told her about was nowhere to be found, and she was sure that she was lost. _If only I had thought of taking the skull with me,_ Dina growled to herself. _Joe would know the way._

Suddenly, the bushes in front of her rustled. Dina's hand instantly flew to her pocket and wrapped around Teffla's Dino Medal. She knew it was Teffla's instantly, despite not being able to directly see it.

The bushes rustled again, more violently this time. Dina's ears picked up faint, but heavy, footsteps. She gulped and clutched the medallion even more tightly.

Without warning, the ferns suddenly rustled madly, and a huge shape burst out. Dina screamed and fell backwards in shock, ready to throw Teffla out and have him battle the monstrosity. But Dina abruptly stopped – something about this unknown beast seemed familiar to her.

Taking a closer look at the beast, Dina realized that she indeed recognized it. The bones encased in black energy, the curling tail, the springy legs – it was Salada, one of the Vivosaurs that Don Boneyard had used!

"What are you doing here?" asked Dina, more curious than afraid. Salada, of course, gave no legible answer, instead giving a cheery chirp and flick of its tail. "Of course I can't understand you," Dina grumbled. Salada said nothing, but twitched its tail and bounced up and down cheerfully.

Even though Dina knew that Salada probably didn't know anything about Zongazonga and the probable fate of the Caliosteo Islands, she couldn't help but feel annoyed at its optimistic attitude. "I don't have time for this," she muttered, brushing past the Boneysaur.

She went a little ways deeper into the jungle, only to hear the heavy footsteps behind her. Sighing, she tried to ignore them. But a faint voice caused her to stop. "Dina!" it called. "Slow down, small fry!" It was Don Joe.

Dina waited until the skull hopped through the undergrowth. "I decided that I'd best be comin' with ya, Dina," he said once he had landed at her feet. "If there's anything to be found in the Stone Pyramid, I wanna know about it."

Grinning, Dina picked up the skull and hid him in her hood. "Let's go then," she said, but as she did so, Salada burst through the foliage again with a shriek.

"Hey, it's Salada!" exclaimed Don Joe. "When I met him, he seemed more Vivosaur than Boneysaur, to tell ya the truth. He was pretty excited ta get outta the Stone Pyramid, if ya ask me."

The Boneysaur bounced up and down excitedly, acting just as Don Joe described. He kept pointing with its muzzle at something over its shoulder. Dina was confused, to say the least. _What is it trying to tell us?_ she wondered.

"I think he wants us to follow him," Don Joe mused. "Come on, pard! Let's mosey!"

Salada chirped at the sound of its old master's voice and dashed off through the jungle. Dina had to run to keep pace with it. However, it left a trail of smashed plants behind it, which was easy to follow.

At the end of the path, Dina and Don Joe met up with Salada again, who was forlornly looking up at a tall, stone structure. The structure looked indescribably ancient, probably dating back to almost prehistoric times. She knew that this was their destination – the Stone Pyramid.

Dina walked up the crumbling steps without hesitation, but something stopped her when she got to the top. Salada wasn't following. "Aren't you coming?" she asked innocently. The Boneysaur shook its head and moaned. "I reckon Salada doesn't want to go in," consoled Don Joe. "We should go ahead. Professor Scatterly should be waitin'."

-.-.-.-.-.

**Stone Pyramid**

It was dark within the confines of the Stone Pyramid. Dina found a torch – she didn't know how it had managed to stay lit for thousands of years – and used it to light the darkness. She had to travel through several winding corridors, and busied her time by looking at the various pictures and glyphs on the walls. Several featured Zongazonga.

Eventually, she reached a huge, dim chamber. Torches were lit all around, giving a slight illumination to the room. Although the light was welcome, Dina couldn't help but think it made the chamber look even more eerie. Taking up the entire far wall was a gigantic stone door with no visible handle.

But it was the centre of the room that drew Dina's attention. On a wide dais sat a stone chest wide enough for both her and Rupert to lay down in. _You'd like that, wouldn't you?_ Nychus teased from her Dino Medal, and Dina had to hold her head in her hands and mutter to herself in order to get that image out of her head.

Professor Scatterly could be seen inside of the chest, shuffling around in his search for possible clues. When Dina approached, her footfalls caused him to look up in surprise. "Oh, hello, my friend!" he boomed. "It seems as though you've decided to follow me here, eh wot?"

He turned back to the chest, wearing an expression of deepest contemplation. Don Joe hopped out of Dina's hood to get a better look around. "This here's the stone chest where they were keepin' Zonazonga. Sure wish I hadn't opened it…" he added glumly.

"I've been searching high and low, but I'm no closer to finding a way to defeat Zongazonga," Professor Scatterly said thoughtfully. "And the longer we take, the more time Zongazonga will have to realize that Dina is no longer on any of the islands."

Dina hadn't realized that. "He might come here and cause harm to my friends," she said in a flash of temper. "We have to find a way to defeat him, even if it requires taking apart this pyramid, brick by brick."

The three split up. After ten full minutes of searching, it was Dina who found a clue. Upon taking a closer look at the massive door, she saw that there was a strange, crest-like symbol on it, resting in the centre of a mess of glyphs. Curiosity piqued, Dina called to Professor Scatterly.

"What ho?" he said when he came running over. "Have you found something?" Dina simply gestured to the glyphs and crest. After a few minutes of scrutinizing the glyphs, the professor said with great satisfaction, "Ah, yes, quite. These appear to be ancient runes. Allow me to work my deciphering magic!"

Dina and Don Joe paid close attention to what the Professor Scatterly recited:

"_To defeat Zongazonga, the people crafted an ultimate weapon called the Caliosteo Pipsqueak. They used this weapon to knock Zongazonga's skull out of its stolen body. The Caliosteo Pipsqueak could also keep Zongazonga from stealing bodies for a short time. The people used this moment to capture the skull and seal it away in the stone chest. We fear the seal holding Zongazonga may one day be broken. If such a day should come, know that we have hidden the Caliosteo Pipsqueak here. Press the crest on the wall, and accept the trial of the guardian. If you prevail, the ultimate weapon shall be yours._"

Don Joe had a skeptical yet still expressionless look on his skull. "Caliosteo Pipsqueak? Seems like a pretty wimpy name for a weapon. But if it knocks Zongazonga outta my body, I'm all for it!"

Professor Scatterly wasn't so sure. "Yes, yes, but persevering through a trial from a guardian sounds a mite bit dangerous, eh wot? Whatever to do?" Dina watched impatiently as Don Joe and the professor got into a heated debate over the proper decision to make.

Finally, Dina snorted, pushed her way between them, and pressed her hand firmly upon the crest. It glowed briefly, then sank into the stone door. The professor and the skull on either side of her just stared at her in shock.

The ground began to tremble, and dust sifted down from the ceiling. For the first time in over a thousand years, the door began to rise up with a huge grinding noise.

"Aw, saddle sores!" yelped Don Joe. "What now?" As the door further lifted, revealing nothing but darkness beyond, Professor Scatterly cried, "The guardian is coming!"

Dina readied for whatever the guardian could throw at her. A pair of eyes glowed out from the darkness, and Dina had to crane her neck in order to stare back at them. She had the distinct feeling that the guardian was looking right at her, sizing her up.

A harsh growl curled out from the blackness, and three smaller sets of eyes appeared as little points of light beneath the guardian. Walking in single file, three B-Rexes appeared, shaking the ground with each step.

Now Dina knew what it was she had to do. "I accept your challenge!" she shouted defiantly at the guardian. "Go Teffla, Radox, and Tricera!" She tossed each Dino Medal out individually, but before she could throw Tricera's, there was a screech and the sound of something running.

Dina turned to see Salada standing over her, looking determinedly at the trio of Boneysaurs. "I think he wants ta fight with ya, Dina!" shouted Don Joe on the sidelines. "He wants ta help defeat Zongazonga in any way he can!"

Although I had no particular love for Boneysaurs, my heart warmed at Salada's willingness to help. "Alright, Salada, go join Radox and Teffla," I said to him, and he sprang into position.

Dina had the first move, as usual. She opened up strong, commanding Teffla and Radox to use Teffla Scale and Radox Headbutt. Both attacks struck the B-Rex in front, dealing severe damage.

Two of the B-Rex attacked with Boney Roar, hurting each of Dina's Vivosaurs a little bit. The injured B-Rex then retreated into the back of the formation. Because Teffla and Radox specialized in fighting at a close range, it was effectively protected from those two for now.

But not, however, from Salada. "Salada, use your Caesar Roll attack on the one in the back!" commanded Dina, and Salada was only too happy to oblige. He slammed the enemy with his thick tail, sending it right back into a Dino Medal that bounced back into the shadows behind it.

The guardian fought back hard, having one of the remaining B-Rexes use Skeletal Assault. The surprisingly strong attack would have spelled doom for Radox, if it weren't for his Counter ability which reflected the attack back in its face. However, the Boneysaur still stood.

Frustrated at its resilience, Dina told Radox to finish it with Radox Blade. He did so with relish, and the B-Rex's head went spinning off into the shadows. Its Dino Medal followed.

Dina ended her turn early to save up FP. Her spirits, for the first time in a while, were high at how easily she was winning this. But she quickly reminded herself not to get too cocky, just in time to see Salada badly hurt by a Bare Tactics attack from the last B-Rex.

"Get him back with Thousand Islands!" called Dina, and the B-Rex was sent sprawling from the dozen kicks that Salada subsequently pummeled him with. Once again ending her turn, Dina gritted her teeth as she watched Radox instantly fall before a Skeletal Assault.

But she knew that despite the strength of its attack, the last B-Rex was on its last legs. It had its mouth hanging open as it panted with exhaustion. "Salada, one more Caesar Roll!" The green Boneysaur sprang forth and made a quick 180 degree turn, whipping the B-Rex so hard that its head flew off.

Dina stood confidently before the guardian as it gazed down at her with its harsh, glowing eyes. Then, the eyes simply faded into the shadows. The door slowly slid down until it shut completely with an echoing crash.

Before Dina could ask what would happen next, if anything, something indeed happened. A glowing orb of energy appeared just in front of her, and from the sphere came a blue object. It was shining as if it were brand-new, and seemed to be made from some unknown crystal-like substance. It took the shape of a large mallet, and was as tall as Dina when it settled to the ground, balancing delicately on its handle.

"By Jove!" exclaimed Professor Scatterly, eyes wide. "It's the Caliosteo Pipsqueak!" Don Joe hopped up and down excitedly. "Great!" he said. "Now let's head back to the BB Brigade Base and plan us an attack."

Dina's hand clenched tightly on the handle of the Caliosteo Pipsqueak, and it transformed, turning into a glove made of pure crystal. It wasn't uncomfortable – quite the opposite, in fact. It felt like smooth silk to Dina.

"Let's go," she said simply, and led the other two out of the Stone Pyramid. Salada bounced along behind, enjoying himself greatly.

-.-.-.-.-.

**BB Brigade Base**

Dina and the others were gathered once more in Don Boneyard's chamber. Pauleen and Rupert were examining the Caliosteo Pipsqueak, which Dina found that she could turn into a hammer and back at will. Cotton viewed it with great interest from a distance. Salada was there as well, bouncing up and down in some strange dance.

"So you're gonna use that weird hammer to knock Zongazonga's skull out of Joe's body, digadig?" asked Pauleen, a hint of doubt in her voice. Dina nodded, undeterred. Rupert piped up, "I see. And after you do so, he will be unable to steal another body for a short time." His tone was one of curiosity, with a hint of wonder.

"That's our chance to return the skull to the chest in the Stone Pyramid!" Cotton emphasized with a stomp of his talon. He had been impatient to take down Zongazonga ever since Dina had come back with the Caliosteo Pipsqueak.

"I shall make for the Stone Pyramid in anticipation of your arrival, eh?" said Professor Scatterly. "I must prepare the chest so Zongazonga can never rise again!" With a nod and a "Tallyho!" he was off.

Don Joe hopped once to get everyone's attention. "All right, y'all! All aboard my B-Ptera! We're headin' for Wildwest Tower and Zongazonga!" Salada chirped and waved his tail as if in farewell. Dina smiled at him, and then led the others to the shores of Bonechip Island.

There was destiny in the air. She could feel it.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Sky Over the Caliosteo Islands**

The night air was invigorating as it swept past Dina's face, sending her hair blowing into Pauleen's face. The three of them were sitting on the back of B-Ptera, who flew with strong wingbeats against the headwind as if it were nothing.

"I can see Cranial Isle!" shouted Pauleen, pointing past Dina's shoulder. Dina and Rupert looked and indeed, they could see the barren island looming on the horizon. Wildwest Tower rose from the centre like an obelisk, and an ominous, malicious feeling radiated from it. Dina shuddered and involuntarily tightened her grip on Rupert's shoulders.

"We're almost at Wildwest Tower," he murmured, almost to himself. But despite the noise of the wind, Dina could hear him. Meanwhile, B-Ptera increased its speed, soaring effortlessly with only the occasional flap of its dark wings to steady itself.

But then suddenly, Dina noticed that they weren't moving at all. "We-we're not moving, digadig!" Pauleen wailed, just a second before B-Ptera began to fall.

The Boneysaur shrieked in despair as it plummeted, taking them all with it. "Mayday! We're losin' altitude!" cried Don Joe from within Dina's hood. "Is this Zongazonga's spell?" cried Rupert as the three of them all tumbled off of B-Ptera's back and started to free-fall.

All of a sudden, there was a shrill screech and the sound of something moving swiftly through the air. A shape flashed out of the blackness of the night, and Dina hit something sooner than she expected.

It was Cotton's Nycto Ace, and the Fighter himself was sitting just in front of her. "Hang on!" he shouted with a slight smile, and Nycto Ace folded her wings and dove after Rupert, Pauleen, and Joe. Dina managed to catch the skull with one hand while holding on the other. Nycto Ace smoothly sailed below Pauleen so she dropped onto its back with a soft thud. At the same time, she made a magnificent catch with her talons, firmly clutching Rupert in them.

Meanwhile, B-Ptera regained its balance and flew off silently into the darkness. Where it was going, Dina didn't know. But she hoped that it could find somewhere safe to rest.

Nycto Ace screeched triumphantly and shot forward like a shooting star, carrying them straight toward Cranial City.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Yeah, the Fossil Battle wasn't that long, mostly because I was so impatient to get this chapter done so I could finally update the story. However, she now has Salada on her team!**

**Anyway, sorry about the wait. I have so many things to get done (including several other fanfics) that it's difficult to write this one.**

**See you soon, and please review!**

**TRIVIA: I don't know what B-Ptera's fate should be. I'm thinking it should appear again sometime during the fight with ZZ, but I'm not entirely sure. What do you think?**


End file.
